Carnival Corporation is facing a new employment discrimination lawsuit from a cruise ship employee who says the cruise line had refused to accommodate his disability, even though he disclosed it ahead of time.

According to the employment discrimination lawsuit, the plaintiff worked as an entertainer for the cruise ship for a period of three years, beginning in mid 2012. The cruise ship employee had reportedly worked for over 70 hours a week.

The plaintiff suffers from a disability in the form of a mental illness, which causes severe high and low mood swings, sleep pattern changes, and changes in energy and behavior. When he asked the cruise line for a reasonable accommodation for his disability, he says the employer denied his request.

According to the employment discrimination lawsuit, the plaintiff had undergone a comprehensive background check that disclosed his mental illness diagnosis along with his past history of anxiety and depression, along with the medications he needed.

Carnival had reportedly responded to the plaintiff by sending a written response on May 21, 2012, which stated he would not receive medical coverage for his disability.

“Since you have a pre-existing condition, which did not manifest during your service of a Carnival Cruise Lines vessel, you will not have medical coverage for treatment/medication for this condition and any associated complications from Carnival Cruise Lines,” the cruise line allegedly told him.

“Any additional medical evaluations and testing you may need as a result of the pre-existing condition will be your responsibility. If necessary, the Medical Center staff will assist with any logistical arrangements in the event you need to leave the ship to attend shoreside medical appointments,” the letter from Carnival stated.

Overview of Employment Discrimination Lawsuit

According to the employment discrimination lawsuit, the plaintiff had worked for Carnival as a full-time cruise ship employee without incident for nearly three years. His workload was allegedly heavy, requiring him to work until 3 a.m. while having to be awake at 10 a.m. to prepare for his next shift.

This allegedly caused the plaintiff to suffer major sleep deprivation and was causing mood stability issues. The plaintiff’s supervisor had allegedly dismissed his concerns, and he says he later suffered a nervous breakdown and extreme anxiety on the first night of the second cruise.

Due to the constant demand of his job as a cruise ship employee, he says he allegedly mistook a passenger for a friend. He was allegedly forcefully confined in his cabin for the remainder of the seven night cruise. In addition, the plaintiff claims he was medically sedated against his will and was only released upon returning to the United States.

The plaintiff in the employment discrimination lawsuit was approved to return to work and was told that the paperwork would later be forwarded to him. However, he says that the next day he received a letter stating that he had falsely claimed to have no “prior history of any mental or anxiety disorders or treatment for any such conditions.” The letter also stated that he was terminated for his “failure to accurately and completely disclose your prior medical history.”

The plaintiff is seeking damages for numerous counts of employment discrimination during his time as an employee on the cruise ship.

This Cruise Ship Employee Employment Discrimination Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-24250-MGC, in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for the Miami-Dade County, Florida.