A North Carolina county is facing a federal lawsuit after allegedly firing a longtime human resources specialist for taking medical leave—an action the worker says was not only unjust but also a clear violation of federal labor laws.
HR Specialist Claims Retaliation Over Medical Leave
Wendy Chamblee, an HR specialist who had worked for Northampton County for eight years, filed suit Tuesday, alleging that she was terminated after requesting short-term medical leave—a right protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
The lawsuit accuses the county of fabricating poor performance claims as a cover for firing her. In her termination letter, county officials cited past reprimands and disciplinary actions, but Chamblee says she was never previously written up or warned.
“These accusations in the letter were simply not true,” her complaint states. “They were falsified in order to provide cover or pretext for [the director] to terminate plaintiff for having temporary health issues requiring a need for FMLA leave.”
From Satisfactory Employee to Fired in Five Days
Chamblee, who joined the county in 2015 and was later promoted to HR specialist, had a clean record with performance reviews marking her as satisfactory or above.
