A former dental assistant has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and discrimination by her supervisor, which led to her wrongful termination. Ashley Roncancio lodged the complaint against National Dental PLLC and Hamzah Nasim in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on September 18, 2024.
According to court documents, Roncancio claims that she was subjected to repeated sexual advances from her supervisor, Hamzah Nasim, starting around May 2023, when she was transferred to National Dental's Brooklyn location. Despite rejecting these advances and suggesting that Nasim seek couples therapy with his wife, Roncancio alleges that Nasim continued his inappropriate behavior.
"I can’t stop thinking about it," Nasim allegedly told her in December 2023, referencing his earlier proposition. He even went as far as making explicit comments about thinking of Roncancio while being intimate with his wife, according to the complaint.
Roncancio's refusal to engage in a sexual relationship with Nasim reportedly led to retaliation. She asserts that after declining his advances, she was denied additional work hours that had previously been agreed upon. On December 14, 2023, when she attempted to confirm her full-time schedule during a school break, Nasim allegedly criticized her for taking sick days and accused her of being unreliable—claims she believes were pretextual and aimed at pressuring her into a sexual relationship.
The situation escalated on December 16, 2023, when Nasim demanded to speak with Roncancio alone in his office. Feeling threatened by his aggressive behavior, she left the workplace. This incident marked what Roncancio describes as constructive discharge due to the hostile work environment created by Nasim's harassment.
Roncancio's lawsuit cites violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL), and the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). She is seeking damages for lost wages and benefits, compensatory damages for emotional distress and injury to reputation, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, costs associated with the lawsuit, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Ashley Roncancio is attorney Jessica Massimi from Massimi Law PLLC. Case ID: 1:24-cv-06574.