Woman sues Marriott Springfield for employee discrimination, firing her
SPRINGFIELD — A former employee of the Marriott Springfield Downtown is suing her employer for discriminating against her for taking family and medical leave.
Jillian Wilson was hired as a group reservations coordinator in February 2023 but took a leave of absence when she needed to take her nieces into custody, according to a complaint filed in Hampden Superior Court on Dec. 11.
Wilson was responsible for processing all reservation requests, changes and cancellations, among other tasks. She was paid $26 per hour on a biweekly basis, the complaint said.
Prior to her hiring, Wilson's sister was investigated by the Department of Children and Families due to an alleged chronic addiction. Wilson hoped the quality of life of her sister and her two nieces would improve.
Seeing her sister's condition worsening, Wilson grew increasingly concerned about both her sister and her nieces, and she brought her concerns to the case worker from DCF, the complaint said.
Rather than take action, the complaint said DCF closed their investigation into her sister.
"Ms. Wilson watched as her sister fell deeper into her addiction and watched as her sister dragged her two daughters down with her," the complaint said, explaining she knew her sister was "no longer fit to be a mother."
In March 2023, two aunts of the nieces received custody of the nieces, the complaint said. While the process for the older niece was quick, the process for the younger one was prolonged, the complaint said.
By this point, Wilson was already a single mother to two teenage daughters. The three were living in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom duplex. Once her nieces moved in, "Ms. Wilson struggled housing four teenage girls in the ... duplex," the complaint said.
Her nieces were also struggling with the adjustment.
In order to bond more with her niece and provide a safe and steady transition, Wilson requested paid Family Medical Leave, the state's version of a federal law protecting employees who need to take time off for family or medical reasons.
She told her human resources director that her leave would be four weeks, starting on Sept. 11, 2023, and ending on Oct. 6, 2023.
The time was a "crucial milestone" for her whole family.
"The adjustment was huge for the whole family. Ms. Wilson was not the only individual of the family who had to adjust and change her lifestyle when this big change took place," the complaint said.
After her return, Wilson alleged that the atmosphere at work had changed and that her colleagues avoided talking to her.
In December 2023, Wilson requested more family leave starting Dec. 19, 2023, until Feb. 21, 2024.
Instead of granting her time off, Wilson alleges her position was terminated due to budget cuts.
"However, no other employees were terminated or laid off due to the budget cuts," the complaint said. Her employer said she was welcome to apply for other jobs at the hotel and offered her a two-week severance package, the latter of which she refused to sign.
Wilson is being represented by Springfield attorney Alexander Sneirson. When reached for comment, Snierson said, "I fight for people that don't always have a voice. Everyone deserves to be heard."
A reporter could not immediately reach Marriott's corporate office. A lawyer for the hotels was not listed in the docket.
The complaint alleges the Marriott violated the paid family medical leave laws as well as parental leave laws. She is requesting a jury trial.
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