Wells Fargo Sued for Disability and Age Discrimination
- posted: Jun. 27, 2023
- Employee Rights
A managing director at Wells Fargo’s investment banking arm has sued the bank for disability and age discrimination. Christopher John Billesdon claims he was “iced out” by senior company officials after he filed a request for a medical accommodation during the post-pandemic push to return to the office.
Case background
Billesdon was a long-time managing director for Wells Fargo. He takes medication for a paralyzed colon and bladder, conditions which stemmed from a “catastrophic accident” in 1990. He had to relearn how to walk and experiences severe nerve damage to this day. Primarily, he requires “easy bathroom access.” When Wells Fargo began the push to return to the office, Billesdon filed a medical accommodation request to work from home. He was fired shortly thereafter.
Billesdon wasn’t the only employee who was pressured to get back to work, nor was he the only employee who requested their own accommodations. He had been hired by Wells Fargo Securities in the late 90s, and became the head of West Coast asset-backed finance sales in 2010. In 2020, he transferred to the Charlotte, North Carolina office while maintaining the same title. However, the bathrooms at the Charlotte office were not easy for him to access—which was not a problem when he was still working from home.
Billesdon was told that he could come to the office at noon on days that he took his medications. However, his request for accommodation was ignored for two months. He reported that senior officials starting “icing him out.” Eventually, he was fired in March 2022, a month before the mandatory return-to-office order was set to take place.
The plaintiff is suiting for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, age discrimination and wrongful discharge under state law. In addition to compensatory and other damages, he is seeking punitive damages.
If you’ve been subject to ADA or age bias violations, help is available. An experienced whistleblower attorney at Kardell Law Group can help. Call today for a consultation.
