A Michigan mother claims her bank of 30 years fired her after she used her paid family leave to care for her daughter, who was dying of cancer.
When she returned to the bank and requested additional time off, she was terminated ‘without explanation.’ Terri Estepp, who had been with the bank for more than 28 years, filed the lawsuit on February 3.
The civil complaint states that Estepp’s adult daughter, Samantha, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2023. Samantha lived in California, and Terri visited her on vacation and through the bank’s Caretaker Time Off program.
Samantha’s condition deteriorated, and she was admitted to the hospital in March 2024. Terri used the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to spend more time with her daughter.
With no more days off work, Estepp took four weeks of FMLA, a federal law that requires employers to provide job-protected, unpaid leave for medical and family reasons.
When she returned to work, she informed the bank’s management that she needed additional time off to spend with Samantha. On the same day, Estepp claims she was fired.
“I was completely shocked. “I wasn’t prepared for anything like this,” Estepp admitted. “I requested medical leave or the Family Medical Leave Act. My previous boss had suggested that I do that in case I needed to take any unexpected time off.”
Unfortunately, Samantha blamed herself for her mother’s job loss, in addition to her serious illness. “It really hurt her,” Estepp explained. “She said, ‘Mom, you lost your job because of me,'” the heartbroken mother revealed to WZZM 13.
Samantha died tragically from breast cancer in 2024, at the age of 31. “Within ten days of them letting me go, my daughter passed away,” Esteep remembers.
Estepp claims that she was never given a reason for her dismissal. Her attorney, Sarah Prescott, filed a lawsuit against Huntington Bank on Monday, accusing the bank of firing the grieving mother, who was attempting to support her dying daughter, for using the FMLA.
“I want people to understand that what they did was wrong, so they don’t do it to someone else,” Estepp told Click on Detroit. A Huntington Bank spokesperson told Click on Detroit that they “were saddened to learn of her daughter’s passing and extend our condolences to Ms. Estepp and her family.”
“While Huntington Bank does not comment on active litigation, we are committed to following all employment laws, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, and acted appropriately in this case. “Ms. Estepp’s departure from Huntington Bank was unrelated to an FMLA leave of absence,” the bank stated.
