JACKSONVILLE — A woman is suing ADT alleging she was wrongfully terminated from her employment.
Rhonda Brice claims ADT violated the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, according to a complaint filed Oct. 26 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
The plaintiff claims that ADT interfered with her FMLA rights and retaliated against her for exercising those rights.
As a result of these actions, the plaintiff asserts she has suffered tangible damages, including the loss of income, benefits, and future pay increases, as well as damage to her professional and personal reputation, emotional distress and mental anguish, according to the suit.
Brice claims she worked for ADT for 26 years and she received awards and promotions for her exemplary performance. She faced health challenges, including major depressive disorder, anxiety, high blood pressure, PTSD, ADD and high cholesterol, leading to her doctor approving FMLA time.
However, issues arose when a new supervisor, Amelia Aguilar, took over in late 2021.
ADT began assigning attendance points for Brice's FMLA leave, a departure from her previous experience, and in October 2021, during an extended FMLA leave, Brice encountered attendance issues related to a malfunctioning keyboard.
Despite her efforts to resolve the situation, Aguilar expressed skepticism and disciplined her for perceived attendance problems.
On June 22, 2022, Aguilar accused Brice of sounding intoxicated during a client call, leading to a recommendation for termination. The following day, ADT terminated Brice, citing behavioral issues.
Brice disputes the termination, asserting her behavior was never questioned in her long tenure.
Brice is seeking compensatory damages. She is represented by Jason W. Imler of Imler Law in Lutz.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida case number: 3:230-cv-01279