Mary Mendez, a former employee of Brazos County, has filed a lawsuit against her previous employer, alleging discrimination and retaliation related to her medical conditions and use of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) rights. The complaint was filed on February 24, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Mendez accuses Brazos County of violating both federal and state laws designed to protect employees with disabilities.
According to the court documents, Mary Mendez worked for Brazos County for over a year before encountering issues that led to her legal action. She claims that after notifying her employer about her need for FMLA leave due to health concerns in August 2023, she faced increased workload pressures without adequate support. “This increase in workload and lack of assistance so closely after exercising her FMLA rights is FMLA retaliation,” states the complaint. Furthermore, she alleges that following her return from medical leave after a surgery that required extended recovery time, she was demoted with a pay cut and issued a final written warning—actions she views as retaliatory.
Mendez’s legal filing outlines multiple instances where she believes Brazos County failed to accommodate her disabilities adequately. Diagnosed with ADHD and a genetic mutation known as CDH1, which significantly impacts her life functions such as focusing and working, Mendez asserts that these conditions were disclosed to her supervisors. Despite this disclosure, she contends that Brazos County did not engage in any interactive process to provide reasonable accommodations or even determine if such accommodations would pose an undue hardship on the county.
The lawsuit further alleges violations under both the Texas Labor Code § 21 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), claiming that Brazos County discriminated against Mendez based on both actual and perceived disabilities. In addition to discrimination claims, Mendez argues unlawful interference with her FMLA rights by citing instances where requests for medical leave were mishandled or ignored entirely by her supervisors.
In seeking justice through the court system, Mary Mendez is asking for various forms of relief. She demands compensatory damages exceeding $25,000 per claim for physical injury, lost wages, emotional distress, and other consequential damages. Additionally, she seeks punitive damages also exceeding $25,000 against each defendant involved. Her request includes an order requiring Brazos County to expunge negative documentation from her personnel file and cover reasonable attorney fees along with non-taxable costs associated with pursuing these claims.
Representing Mary Mendez is attorney Austin Stelter from Spitz Law Firm located in Independence, Ohio. The case has been assigned Case ID 4:26-cv-01519 but details regarding specific judges overseeing proceedings have not been disclosed at this stage.
Source: 426cv01519_Mary_Mendez_v_Brazos_County_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Texas.pdf
