ALAMEDA, Calif. (CN) – Kaiser fired a nurse right after a medical leave, wrongfully accusing her of racism, she claims in Alameda County Superior Court.

     Nicole Rana sued The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. for disability discrimination, failure to accommodate a disability, failure to engage in the interactive process, failure to take reasonable steps to prevent discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation.

     According to Rana’s lawsuit, she took intermittent medical leave from May through December 2016. During this period, her supervisor and the director of nursing harassed her in ways the complaint does not describe, which she reported to human resources, according to the complaint.

     Rana says there was an issue involving a patient on or around Nov. 11, 2016, which the complaint does not describe. Rana was wrongfully accused of racism, according to the complaint. On or around Jan. 23, 2017, Kaiser wrongfully suspended Rana for three days over the issue with the patient, according to the complaint.

     Rana went on an extended medical leave starting on or around Jan. 30, according to the complaint. Rana’s doctor released her to come back to work March 6, but Kaiser did not let her come back, according to the complaint. On March 8, Rana was put on administrative leave, according to the complaint. She complained again to human resources, on March 16, about her supervisor and the director of nursing, according to the complaint.

     “On March 20, 2017, plaintiff’s employment was terminated, two weeks after she returned from disability leave and just a few days after filing her complaint with HR regarding the harassing and unfair treatment plaintiff had been subjected to,” (Pg. 12, No. 47) the complaint states.

     Rana contends that her medical problems were the true reason Kaiser fired her, and that Kaiser’s allegation of racism was a pretext.

     Nicole Rana seeks general, compensatory, special, liquidated, punitive and exemplary damages, emotional distress damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, interest and a jury trial. She is represented by Michael T. Carr in Monrovia and Roman Otkupman in Woodland Hills.