Veterinarian Files Complaint Against Animal Surgical Center of Long Island
Animal Surgical Center (ASC) of Long Island allegedly used unlicensed veterinary technicians for procedures, engaged in unsafe administration of controlled substances, and provided egregiously substandard medical care, a veterinarian claims in a new lawsuit.
The plaintiff, Mariana Pardo, also alleged that ASC’s founder and owner, Tomas Infernuso, retaliated against her and fired her when she tried to correct the issues, according to the compaint filed Thursday in Central Islip federal court.
“ASC and Dr. Infernuso must be held accountable for their blatant retaliation against Dr. Pardo, who did nothing other than stand up for the ethical treatment of ASC’s animal-patients and nondiscriminatory treatment of ASC’s employees,” David E. Gottlieb and Meredith A. Firetog, partners at the Manhattan-based law firm of Wigdor LLP who represent the plaintiff, said in a statement.
Pardo’s lawsuit claims that, in firing her due to pregnancy, ASC violated several laws, including the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the New York State Human Rights Law, N.Y. Exec. Law (NYSHRL) and the New York Labor Law (NYLL).
Wigdor cites a previous lawsuit, where Infernuso was accused of firing ASC’s former CEO, who also claimed ASC treated employees in a discriminatory fashion and lied to the public about medical qualifications of those doing animal surgeries, similar to Pardo’s complaint.
“It is my hope that this lawsuit forces Dr. Infernuso to reflect on his behavior and leads to the necessary changes to guarantee that ASC’s patients receive the quality medical care they deserve and that his future employees are not subject to a dysfunctional and hostile workplace, as they deserve a safe and discrimination-free environment,” Pardo said in a statement.
ASC did not immediately return a request for comment.
