A recent legal filing accuses a major employer of violating federal laws by allegedly discriminating against an employee with disabilities and subjecting her to a hostile work environment. The complaint was filed by Jatyla Laster in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia on March 8, 2026, naming FedEx Corporation as the defendant.
According to the court documents, Laster is a former forklift operator who began working for FedEx in August 2024. She claims that she suffers from major depressive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety/social disorder. Despite reporting strong job performance and being ranked among top performers, Laster alleges that she faced harassment and hostility from coworkers and supervisors soon after starting her employment.
The complaint states that on or about July 18, 2024, Laster was threatened by another employee while at work. She reported this threat to management and Human Resources on the same day but asserts that FedEx failed to properly address her concerns. Following this incident, Laster claims that the hostile work environment not only continued but worsened. She describes repeated hostile behavior from supervisors and coworkers related to her disability.
Laster further alleges that supervisors questioned her work performance without justification and treated her disrespectfully. Despite being aware of her disability, she claims no accommodation was provided by FedEx. The complaint details instances where she was falsely accused of not working despite performing assigned tasks. On one occasion, a supervisor called security even though Laster says she had not engaged in any misconduct.
Efforts to report these incidents to Human Resources were allegedly met with inadequate responses or dismissal of her complaints. After reporting harassment and discrimination, Laster claims that FedEx retaliated against her by sending her home from work without justification multiple times.
In May 2025, an unrelated fight occurred outside the workplace between two employees. Although video evidence confirmed that Laster was not involved in the altercation and was merely present outside when it happened, management suspended several individuals who were present—including Laster herself. According to the filing, most of those suspended were allowed to return to work except for Laster, who was terminated around May 21, 2025.
FedEx reportedly labeled Laster’s termination as a policy violation despite what she describes as having no involvement in the fight. She asserts that this explanation was false and pretextual. The complaint also states that similarly situated male employees received less severe discipline than she did under comparable circumstances.
Laster contends that prior complaints about harassment and workplace misconduct motivated FedEx’s decision to terminate her employment. She further alleges that FedEx knew ongoing workplace harassment was worsening her mental health condition but failed to take corrective action.
As a result of these alleged actions by FedEx, Laster claims she suffered emotional distress, financial hardship due to loss of employment, damage to professional reputation, lost wages, and diminished future earning capacity.
The lawsuit is brought under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as well as Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It includes counts for disability discrimination—such as failure to provide reasonable accommodation or engage in an interactive process—as well as sex discrimination based on disparate treatment compared with male employees and retaliation for reporting protected activity.
Laster seeks back pay and lost wages; front pay or reinstatement; compensatory damages; punitive damages; costs associated with litigation; attorney’s fees; interest; exemplary damages; and any other relief deemed proper by the court.
The case is represented by attorney Mu’min F. Islam of ACE LAW LP in Atlanta (Case No.: 1:26-cv-00034-LAG).
Source: 126cv00034_Jaiyla_Laster_v_Fedex_Corporation_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georiga.pdf
