Woman sues Niskayuna assisted-living facility, claims discrimination

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

A former residential care coordinator at an assisted-living facility in Niskayuna has filed suit against the facility, accusing it of discriminating against her based on her obsessive compulsive disorder.

Kristina DeLorenzo filed the suit in state Supreme Court in Schenectady County last week against Tennessee-based Brookdale Senior Living Communities. Brookdale is the parent company of Wynwood of Niskayuna, an assisted-living facility on Union Street.

In the suit, DeLorenzo claims that she disclosed her obsessive compulsive disorder to her supervisor, but her supervisor made the condition public knowledge in the workplace.

The result was that she was harassed and teased because of it, causing “severe emotional distress.”

DeLorenzo’s attorney, Tom DeLorenzo, said Wednesday that his client told her supervisor as a preemptive measure to ensure that she had reasonable accommodations. But as a result of telling her supervisor, her condition became known and she was harassed.

Such harassment makes the condition worse, DeLorenzo said.

The attorney is second cousins with the client’s husband.

“She could work as long as no one annoyed, harassed or teased her,” the attorney said. “They were all picking on her and changing her hours to different shifts. She was also subjected to additional rules and regulations other employees were not subjected to.”

In an email Wednesday, a representative of Brookdale declined to comment.