Elizabeth Mitchell of Godfrey has filed a lawsuit against senior living community company Cedarhurst of Godfrey Management, LLC, and its resident director Kariann Lindow-Oller, alleging that she was unlawfully fired.
Mitchell's lawsuit says that from December 2021 to September 2022, she was employed as a cook by Cedar Creek of Godfrey, which operates an assisted living facility and is affiliated with Cedarhurst in a manner currently unknown to Mitchell. In September 2022, she was transferred to and made an employee of Cedarhurst until January 24, 2023, when she was fired despite performing her job in accordance with the company's reasonable expectations, her lawsuit says. Earlier, she had been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome that she believed to be work-related, and on January 17, Mitchell notified Lindow-Oller that she required surgery and was making a claim for worker's compensation, the suit says. Lindow-Oller then made false claims regarding Mitchell's work performance to Cedarhurst to induce the company into terminating Mitchell's employment, the lawsuit alleges.
As a result of her wrongful termination, Mitchell has suffered damages including a loss of wages, a loss of income and employment benefits, emotional distress, and the loss of a normal life, the lawsuit alleges.
Cedarhurst and Lindow-Oller are being sued for retaliatory discharge and intentional interference with contractual relations. Mitchell is seeking financial compensation equal to or greater than $50,000 for each charge in addition to legal costs.