A former employee of a fair housing organization has filed a lawsuit alleging workplace discrimination and retaliation.
The lawsuit filed by plaintiff Janeen West names Long Island Housing Services, Inc., and three individuals associated with the organization as defendants. According to the lawsuit, West joined Long Island Housing Services (LIHS) in April 2022 as a Fair Housing Investigator/Counselor. She alleges that she was subjected to inappropriate remarks from a coworker, Ivan Campos Torres, and that supervisors Marian Reid and Ian Wilder failed to address her complaints. The complaint states that West experienced retaliation after reporting the conduct, including a change in job responsibilities. It alleges that her core duties were removed and reassigned from Torres to her and that she was eventually terminated on January 27, 2023.
West also asserts that she has a medical condition involving lung nodules, which affects her immune system. She requested remote work as a reasonable accommodation, similar to arrangements allegedly made for non-disabled employees. The lawsuit claims that LIHS responded by requesting detailed medical documentation not required of others and that West subsequently experienced a hostile work environment.
She is requesting back pay, front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and coverage for attorney fees and court costs.
The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Robert J. Valli Jr., Sara Wyn Kane, and Brendan Carman of Valli Kane & Vagnini LLP. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case ID: 2:25-cv-02591.