Stephen Barra, a former employee of a major home improvement retailer, has filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination and wrongful termination. The complaint was filed by Barra's attorney, Shams W. Naimi of Wilshire Law Firm, PLC, in the Superior Court of California for Ventura County on January 31, 2025. The defendants named in the case include Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., and individuals identified as Trish Doe and Jon Doe.
According to the complaint, Stephen Barra began working for Home Depot in March 2024 and quickly became recognized for his exemplary performance. However, things took a turn when he reported not being properly compensated for overtime hours and disclosed his need to care for family members with serious medical conditions. On June 7, 2024, Barra suffered a workplace injury but was allegedly denied medical attention by his supervisors. After seeking treatment independently, he was diagnosed with a concussion and placed on work restrictions. Despite providing these restrictions to Home Depot, Barra claims the company failed to engage in an interactive process or provide reasonable accommodations.
The situation escalated when Barra was terminated on June 18, 2024, under what he describes as false pretenses related to safety procedures during his injury incident. A coworker attested that there were no indications of negligence on Barra's part and noted a change in behavior from supervisors Jon Doe and Trish Doe after the accident. The lawsuit accuses Home Depot of multiple violations under California law including discrimination based on disability, harassment, retaliation for whistleblowing about unpaid wages, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, among others.
Barra seeks compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress along with punitive damages aimed at deterring future misconduct by Home Depot. He also requests civil penalties under specific labor codes totaling at least $20,000 combined with attorneys' fees and costs associated with the lawsuit.
Representing Stephen Barra is attorney Shams W. Naimi from Wilshire Law Firm while the case is presided over by judges at Ventura County Superior Court under Case No. 2025 CUVWT OS? 34.