In a compelling legal battle, an individual has taken a stand against their former employer, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Larita Julius filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on February 18, 2026, accusing Brightmoor Hospice, LLC of discrimination and retaliation. This case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by employees with disabilities in securing fair treatment in the workplace.
According to the complaint, Larita Julius was employed as a Registered Nurse at Brightmoor Hospice’s Conyers location starting February 5, 2024. She suffers from Lumbar Radiculopathy and herniated disks, conditions that significantly affect her ability to perform certain physical tasks such as bending and lifting. Despite informing her supervisors about these disabilities and receiving assurances that accommodations would be made—specifically that Certified Nursing Assistants would handle heavy lifting—Julius encountered resistance and hostility from coworkers. The lawsuit details incidents where Julius was bullied by colleagues who believed she was not contributing adequately due to her accommodations. On March 19, 2025, a confrontation arose when Julius opted to use a lift for a heavy patient rather than physically lifting them herself. Her actions were met with criticism from coworkers Celia McDowell and Aisha Tarpley, leading to accusations of not being a “team player.”
The situation escalated over several months as Julius continued to face harassment and what she perceived as retaliatory behavior from her employer. On August 20, 2025, after reporting ongoing bullying related to her disability accommodations to Human Resources, she was terminated under the pretext of ineffective teamwork and communication. Julius contends that these reasons are mere pretexts for unlawful discrimination based on her disability.
Julius is seeking various forms of relief through this lawsuit. She demands general damages for emotional suffering caused by Brightmoor Hospice’s alleged misconduct, special damages for lost wages and benefits with prejudgment interest, punitive damages for willful disregard of her rights, reasonable attorney’s fees and litigation expenses, declaratory relief affirming violation of statutory rights under ADA by the defendant, injunctive relief including reinstatement or front pay in lieu thereof along with prohibiting further unlawful conduct by Brightmoor Hospice.
Representing Larita Julius are attorneys V. Severin Roberts and Patrick Reid from The Workers’ Firm based in Atlanta. The case is being presided over by Judge JPB-RDC under Case ID: 1:26-cv-00959-JPB-RDC.
Source: 126cv00959_Larita_Julius_v_Brightmoor_Hospice_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georgia.pdf
