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May 29, 2009 11:14 pm US/Central
Former DFW Airport VP Sues Board
Airport Vice-President Files Suit Against Board, Claims Discrimination And Retaliation
Reporting
Jack Fink
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A former vice president at DFW International Airport claims she was discriminated and retaliated against and ultimately fired. Now she's suing the airport board, claiming she was targeted after taking family leave to care for her young son.
"It's demoralizing," she said. "It's humiliating."
Di Ann Sanchez said she's still shocked she was fired last June from her job as VP of Human Resources at DFW International Airport. "I'm a target, I'm a victim of discrimination, harassment, and a hostile work environment."
In her lawsuit against the DFW airport board filed Friday, Sanchez says her troubles with her supervisor, Executive Vice-President of Diversity and Administration Linda Valdez Thompson began in 2006.
At the time, Sanchez was a single mother who took time off to help care for her young son.
He is autistic, and she says he had just been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Sanchez says, "After that, I started experiencing retaliation from her. She would take away responsibilities, add responsibilities, she cut my budget $700,000."
After taking family medical leave, Sanchez says she received intimidating verbal and email messages and she accuses Valdez Thompson of violating her privacy. She says, "Discussing my son's disability with other individuals. She told my peers that my son had autism and that he got it from me."
In the lawsuit, Sanchez questioned what she claims are various violations of airport policy, and claims her efforts to re-examine executive compensation were ignored.
Read the final lawsuit filed by Sanchez, on May 29,2009, in its entirety.
In December, 2007, Sanchez says she filed a complaint against Valdez Thompson and met with airport CEO Jeff Fegan to discuss the problem.
Sanchez says she was stunned to find out the airport CEO gave her complaint to her supervisor to investigate. The same supervisor who she filed the complaint against. Sanchez says it's a violation of the airport's own policy.
Sanchez say she was fired months later for a loss of confidence. The airport says it doesn't comment on litigation and personnel matters, and it hasn't had a chance to respond in court. Now, Sanchez wants her termination reversed. Sanchez says, "It caused a lot of pain and I don't want anyone else to go through this at the airport."
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