A former hospital director alleges she was terminated in retaliation for reporting racial discrimination, according to a complaint filed in federal court. The legal action was brought by Debra Crookendale on March 24, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Maimonides Medical Center and Jessica Wagner.
According to the complaint, Crookendale served as Director of Nursing at Maimonides Medical Center after being hired on December 4, 2023. She claims she managed the hospital’s largest intensive care unit with strong results, including top patient safety metrics and positive performance evaluations. The filing states that her leadership led to recognition from hospital administration and a promotion to Director of Nursing on July 8, 2025.
The dispute centers around Crookendale’s allegations that after she began reporting directly to Jessica Wagner in May 2024, she faced severe racial discrimination and disparate treatment. Wagner is described as having supervisory authority over Crookendale and allegedly subjected her to a "racially hostile work environment," enforcing double standards not applied to non-Black or non-Barbadian managers. The complaint details incidents where Wagner is said to have scrutinized Crookendale’s attendance more harshly than others, denied her reasonable accommodations for a back injury while granting leniency to other managers, and imposed punitive conditions on remote work not required of her peers.
Crookendale also alleges that Wagner refused to discipline non-Black managers for serious workplace errors but took disciplinary actions against her for similar or lesser issues. One example cited involves payroll management errors made by another employee who was not disciplined; instead, Crookendale claims she was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) on June 25, 2025—despite no prior formal warnings.
The complaint further states that after formally complaining about racial discrimination to Human Resources on August 10, 2025—a protected activity under employment law—Crookendale’s employment was terminated eight days later. She asserts that the stated reason for dismissal was "poor work performance," which she characterizes as pretextual given her recent promotion and commendations from hospital leadership.
Following her termination on August 18, 2025, staff from the intensive care unit reportedly submitted a joint letter protesting her dismissal and praising her leadership. According to the lawsuit, Crookendale was replaced by Luis Medina, identified as a white man.
The legal filing brings multiple causes of action under federal law (including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act), state law (New York State Human Rights Law), city law (New York City Human Rights Law), and Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Claims include discrimination based on race and national origin, creation of a hostile work environment, retaliation for protected complaints about discrimination, failure to accommodate disability under state law provisions, aiding and abetting unlawful conduct by Wagner individually, and violations related to contract rights under Section 1981.
Crookendale seeks compensatory damages for lost earnings and benefits as well as emotional distress; punitive damages; prejudgment interest; attorneys’ fees; costs; and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court. She has demanded a jury trial on all triable issues.
The complaint is signed by attorney Jazly Liriano of Rissmiller PLLC representing Debra Crookendale. The case is identified as Civil Action No.: 1:26-cv-1730.
Source: 126cv01730_Crookendale_v_Maimonides_Medical_Center_Complaint_Eastern_District_New_York.pdf