What the…? Woman Fired After Donating Kidney to Boss [VIDEO]
In today’s economy, it seems even donating a kidney to your boss isn’t a guarantee of job security.
Debbie Stevens, a Long Island divorced mother of two, alleges that she was fired from her job after donating a kidney to her manager, Jackie Brucia, and now she’s seeking millions of dollars in compensation.
Stevens, a former employee of the Atlantic Automotive Group, underwent surgery in August of last year to donate a kidney. Turns out, she wasn’t a perfect match for Brucia, but Stevens gave the organ to a stranger so that Brucia could move higher up the donor list.
Once Brucia received a new kidney, Stevens says she became verbally abusive on the job. “She just started treating me horribly, viciously, inhumanly after the surgery,” she said. “It was almost like she hired me just to get my kidney.”
“I don’t have words strong enough or large enough to describe her treatment of me,” continued Stevens. “Screaming at me about things I never did, carrying on to the point where she wouldn’t even let me leave my desk. It was constant, constant screaming.”
Stevens says she was then demoted and moved to a car dealership 50 miles from her home. At that point, she hired a lawyer and was fired from her job within a week.
According to Stevens’ civil rights lawyer, Lenard Leeds, he plans to file a discrimination lawsuit against the auto group and seek damages for lost pay and psychological and physical well-being.
But a representative for AAG says the auto group did nothing wrong. “Atlantic Auto treated her appropriately and acted honorably and fairly at every turn,” said lawyer Robert Milman. “We expect to have this resolved favorably in the legal system.”
[ABC News]