Old Bridge/Edison Nursing Home Illegally Fired Employee, Feds Charge

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — The federal government has sued a county-run nursing home with locations in Old Bridge and Edison, alleging they illegally fired a longtime kitchen employee after she told them she could no longer lift heavy objects.

The nursing home is Roosevelt Care Centers, located on Marlboro Road in Old Bridge. There is also a Roosevelt Care Center in Edison.

Roosevelt Care Centers is a long-term care facility operated by the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, part of Middlesex County government. Middlesex County government declined to respond when asked about the lawsuit, or allegations from federal prosecutors.

The woman worked as a "dietary worker" in the kitchen. She worked there for the past 18 years, but suffered an injury recently that she said prevented her from lifting objects heavier than 20 pounds.

According to U.S. Attorneys, when she told the nursing home, they fired her, "without engaging in an interactive process to provide her with a reasonable accommodation."

She was also still able to perform the essential functions of her position.

U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said the woman's injury qualified as a disability and as such, the nursing home violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by firing her.

"Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against a qualified individual on the basis of disability," said the federal government. "An employer may not demote, terminate or deny employment opportunities to an employee who is otherwise qualified if the demotion or termination is based on the need to make reasonable accommodations for the employee."

“No one should be denied their right to work because of a disability,” said U.S. Attorney Sellinger. “The Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted to prohibit employers from denying employment to people with disabilities without making a reasonable accommodation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the civil rights and ensuring equal employment opportunities for all individuals with disabilities.”

If you think you have been a victim of discrimination, you may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339.