A Connecticut woman is suing her ex-employer for firing her because she was genetically at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, according to her lawsuit.

Her complaint alleges that after years of stellar performance reviews, she was targeted, demoted, and eventually fired after she revealed the results of her genetic testing, which she then followed with a voluntary double mastectomy.

Her case is one of the first to be filed under the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, (GINA), which makes it illegal for employers and health insurers to discriminate on the basis of an individual’s genetic information.

AP reports:

She said in her complaint that MXenergy hired a consultant for her work while she was recovering from her first surgery, but that person became her boss when she returned and the company quickly took away her office and most her duties.

She said her job was eliminated — the only one in her department — and she was escorted out in March, about six weeks after she returned from her second surgery.

Conn. woman alleges genetic discrimination at work [AP via GenomeWeb]

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