Carmela Flynn is suing November & Nunnink, claiming they violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
GLEN ROCK - A legal assistant who worked for 10 years at a borough law firm claims she was fired the day after telling her bosses she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a lawsuit filed in Bergen County Superior Court.
Carmela Flynn, 49, alleges the partners at November & Nunnink on Harristown Road also denied her unemployment benefits because she refused to sign an agreement stating she would not sue the business, according to court papers filed last month.
The suit names the law firm and supervising partners Celine Y. November and Laura A. Nunnink.
"The day after certain employees and the defendants were made aware that the plaintiff was stricken with breast cancer, the defendants wrongfully, illegally and without just cause terminated (Flynn)," the lawsuit claims.
Representatives of November & Nunnink did not respond to requests for comment.
Flynn states in the suit she was hired as a part-time receptionist in September 2005 and was promoted to legal assistant a year later. She claims her work record was spotless and that there were no problems until November 2014, when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
"It is at this point in time that the defendants clearly, unequivocally and with malicious intent commenced a wholesale campaign of abuse, retaliation and certain surreptitious adverse employment actions," Flynn alleges in the suit.
The cancer diagnosis came in February 2016, the lawsuit states.
Ex-inmate sues for false imprisonment
Flynn states the reason she was given for her termination was "because of the contents and dissemination of an innocuous email."
"The truism is that (Flynn) was diagnosed with cancer and the defendants had no tolerance, compassion, empathy," the lawsuit states.
Flynn also claims she was advised through her lawyer that if she did not file suit against November & Nunnink, the business "would not object to her receiving unemployment compensation benefits."
The suit claims Flynn is a member of a protected class and accuses November & Nunnink of violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, unreasonable conduct and gross negligence.
Flynn is seeking a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.