Case Background
Alicia Kenworthy, a resident of Naugatuck, Connecticut, started her career as a Medical Assistant with Franklin Medical Group on October 12, 2020. From the very beginning of her employment, she struggled with severe, chronic allergies and asthma. These conditions made her highly sensitive to environmental triggers commonly found in office spaces, such as perfumes, scented cleaning products, and air fresheners.
Cause
The legal dispute began when Ms. Kenworthy requested a workplace free from fragrances as a reasonable accommodation for her disabilities. She specifically notified her supervisors, Kathleen Teta and Lisa Adomavicia, about her medical needs. Despite her formal requests and even her personal efforts to provide fragrance-free hand sanitizers for her colleagues, her coworker, Julie Lodge, allegedly continued to use heavily scented lotions and products in the office. This ongoing exposure led to several medical emergencies.
Injury
Ms. Kenworthy suffered repeated and severe health crises due to the presence of fragrances in her work environment. On January 20, 2021, she experienced an anaphylactic reaction that forced her to drive herself to the emergency room at Waterbury Hospital. She reported symptoms including difficulty breathing, tongue tingling, and extreme weakness. These medical issues caused her to miss work frequently, which eventually led to disciplinary actions and her termination on March 26, 2021.
Damages Sought
In her lawsuit, Ms. Kenworthy asked for compensation for back pay and front pay to cover her lost wages. She also sought damages for emotional distress, including the shame and embarrassment she felt after losing her job. Additionally, she requested the Court to order the removal of negative information from her personnel file and sought coverage for her legal fees and other Court costs.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
The trial focused on whether Franklin Medical Group had failed to provide a safe working environment and whether the company had illegally fired Ms. Kenworthy because of her disability.
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): Alicia Kenworthy
· Counsel for Plaintiff(s): James V. Sabatini
Defendant(s): Franklin Medical Group, P.C.
· Counsel for Defendant(s): Lori B. Alexander | Elizabeth R. McKenna
Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel
Ms. Kenworthy’s legal team argued that the medical group ignored her clear and documented need for a fragrance-free workplace. They presented evidence that she had even provided her own fragrance-free supplies to help her coworkers comply with her needs. Her counsel contended that the company chose to discipline and fire her for absences that were directly caused by their own failure to accommodate her disability.
Claims
The Plaintiff brought four main legal claims against the medical group:
Disability Discrimination: Claiming she was treated poorly and eventually fired because of her asthma and allergies.
Failure to Accommodate: Alleging the company did not engage in a good-faith effort to provide the fragrance-free environment she required.
Retaliation: Arguing that the company punished her for requesting accommodations and for complaining about the hostile environment.
Hostile Work Environment: Stating that the repeated use of scents by her coworker, combined with hostile behavior, created an abusive atmosphere.
Defense
Franklin Medical Group denied the allegations of discrimination and harassment. The defense argued that Ms. Kenworthy was not qualified to perform her job duties and that her termination was based on legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons rather than her disability. They also raised several "special defenses," claiming that her lawsuit was barred by certain legal doctrines and that any damages she suffered were her own fault or beyond their control.
Jury Verdict
The jury reached its final decision on January 28, 2026, after weighing the evidence from both sides.
Disability Discrimination Verdict The jury found that Ms. Kenworthy had successfully proven that she had a disability. They also agreed that she was qualified to perform the essential functions of her job as a Medical Assistant. However, the jury ultimately decided that the "Performance Improvement Documentation" issued by the company was not a "materially adverse" employment action. Because of this specific finding, the jury ruled in favor of Franklin Medical Group on the first claim of disability discrimination.
Hostile Work Environment Verdict Regarding the claim of a hostile work environment, the jury had to determine if the behavior Ms. Kenworthy experienced was severe or pervasive enough to create an abusive workplace. The verdict form indicates that if the jury found the company failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action, they would find for the Plaintiff. The final recorded verdict shows that the judge accepted and recorded the jury's findings at 5:00 P.M. on the day of the decision. While the jury acknowledged her disability and qualifications, the medical group was not held liable for the specific claim of discrimination related to her performance documentation.
