A former employee of an architectural grille manufacturer has filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation due to her disability. The lawsuit was brought against Giumenta Corp., doing business as Architectural Grille.
According to the lawsuit filed by plaintiff Samantha Santana, she began working for Architectural Grille as Director of Human Resources in March 2022 with a salary of $80,000, later increased to $85,000. After sustaining a foot injury in April 2022, Santana sought medical attention and requested accommodations to work from home during her recovery. These requests were initially granted by company owners Stephen and Anthony Giumenta. Santana alleges that after she requested accommodations, she was subjected to retaliatory actions.
The complaint asserts that she was placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP) shortly after requesting accommodations. Santana maintains that she continued to perform her duties satisfactorily but was terminated in July 2022 for alleged poor performance. She contends that this stated reason for termination was a pretext and that her dismissal was the result of discrimination related to her disability. The lawsuit claims violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) based on discrimination and retaliation.
Santana is seeking relief, including compensation for lost wages and benefits, damages for emotional distress and reputational harm, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Max C. Bracero of Phillips & Associates, PLLC. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case No. 25-cv-05868