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A former Harvard audiovisual technician sued the University and her former manager for disability discrimination and retaliation in state court earlier this month, according to court documents.
Sarah Gay, who assisted faculty with technology support and classroom audio-visual setup as a technician in the Division of Continuing Education, was hospitalized for a pulmonary embolism in 2023. Gay alleged in the complaint that Harvard “unilaterally imposed” a higher in-person workload when she returned in 2024 after she requested disability accommodations.
She accused the University and her manager Gergana Hunt of violating state and federal disability and leave laws by changing her job duties — and eventually terminating her employment — in “direct response” to her requests for medical accommodations.
A University spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing a policy against discussing personnel matters. A lawyer for Gay also declined to comment.
Gay had begun working as a part-time technician at Harvard in 2012, transitioning to a full-time job in 2016, according to the suit. When she returned from a seven-month medical leave in 2024, Gay alleges that Hunt, her new manager, told her that her medical issues would improve if she would “meditate” and imposed new physical tasks that had not previously been part of her role, including carrying multiple laptops across campus on foot.
Hunt also did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the lawsuit’s accusations.
In the suit, Gay alleges that the discrimination continued when she asked for accommodations to recover after an open-chest surgery in November 2024. Harvard dismissed Gay’s requests, she claimed, instead increasing her in-person workload to five days a week from four. The only accommodation offered was a leave of absence, according to Gay’s complaint.
Unable to physically keep up with five days of in-person work, Gay took the leave of absence, which was covered under Harvard’s disability plan as well as state and federal leave laws. But she learned that Harvard “flagged” employees for termination after six months of medical leave — a policy the lawsuit claims is unlawful and “inconsistent with the reasonable accommodation provisions” in state law.
In March, Harvard offered Gay unpaid leave through late April, but asked her to perform tasks she had never been required to do before, according to the complaint.
“These additions — particularly, lifting up to 50 pounds, climbing ladders, and ‘swiftly transport equipment across campus’ — were barely disguised retaliatory measures designed to discourage Ms. Gay from even contemplating a return to work,” the lawsuit alleges.
Gay said her doctor advised her to remain out of work given the new physical burdens. She asked if Harvard would help her move to another position, explaining that her ability to return to work had been constrained by the new job requirements, according to the complaint.
Per the complaint, Harvard administrators did not respond to Gay’s questions or statements, responding only by saying that “the interactive dialogue in August was paused” when Gay went on leave after her surgery. Gay’s unpaid leave was extended, but her employment was ultimately terminated on May 16.
The complaint alleges that Harvard violated the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act in its treatment of Gay. It also accuses Hunt of retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and interference with Gay’s rights under state law.
Gay is seeking compensation, including lost wages and benefits, alongside punitive damages. Harvard has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit.
—Staff writer Hugo C. Chiasson can be reached at hugo.chiasson@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @HugoChiassonn.
—Staff writer Amann S. Mahajan can be reached at amann.mahajan@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @amannmahajan.
