A former employee has filed a lawsuit against Community Health Center of Richmond, Inc., alleging racial discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. Nicola A. McFarlane filed the complaint on January 23, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
The case centers on McFarlane's allegations that she was subjected to racial discrimination by colleagues at the Community Health Center of Richmond (CHCR), where she worked as a Certified Medical Assistant from October 2016 until her termination in January 2024.
McFarlane claims that starting in May 2022, she experienced discriminatory treatment based on her race, including being called derogatory names by coworkers Cecilia Flores, Dionisia Neri, and nurse Griselda. She reported these incidents to her supervisor, Monique Welbeck, and CHCR’s human resources department, but alleges no action was taken to address her complaints.
According to the complaint, McFarlane faced retaliation for reporting these issues.
She asserts that after making multiple complaints about racial discrimination, she was subjected to increased scrutiny and criticism from her supervisors. This included being falsely accused of poor job performance and excessive absenteeism—claims McFarlane argues were fabricated as pretexts for her eventual termination on January 2, 2024.
The lawsuit states these actions caused McFarlane significant emotional distress, including depression and anxiety.
McFarlane is seeking several forms of relief from the court. She demands a jury trial and requests damages for lost wages and benefits due to what she describes as unlawful employment practices by CHCR.
Additionally, she seeks compensatory damages for mental anguish and injury to her reputation, punitive damages for malicious conduct by CHCR employees, and attorneys' fees and other related costs.
Representing McFarlane is Joshua M. Friedman of Phillips & Associates Attorneys at Law PLLC. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:25-cv-00410.