State: Atlantic Auto's Firing of Kidney Donor Unjust

A former Atlantic Auto Group employee was unjustly fired after donating a kidney to help her sick boss, a state panel said Monday.

The state Division on Human Rights found there was “probable cause” that the employers of Debbie Stevens practiced discrimination in firing her from a administrative assistant position at the West Islip-based company, the NY Post reports.

Stevens filed a legal complaint with the Human Rights Commission of New York earlier this year alleging that her boss Jackie Brucia used her for a kidney donation in 2011 and then subsequently fired her from AAG where they both worked.

AAG released a statement in April calling Stevens' claims "groundless," adding, "Atlantic Auto treated her appropriately and acted honorably and fairly, at every turn."

The finding allows Stevens to move forward with a $15 million lawsuit she plans to file against the company and Brucia, according to the Post.

“She has permanent physical and emotional damage,” Stevens’ lawyer, Lenard Leeds told the Post.

Read the full report here.