In 2011, Debbie Stevens of Long Island donated her kidney to help save her boss Jacqueline Brucia’s life. Because they weren’t a direct match, Stevens donated to a stranger in Missouri, which moved Brucia up the transplant waiting list and got her a kidney from San Francisco.
Stevens returned to work just four weeks after surgery, still suffering complications. Her boss then allegedly screamed at her, denied her bathroom breaks, and eventually transferred her to a dealership 50 miles from her home.
When Stevens complained, she was fired. The New York Human Rights board found probable cause of discrimination, and the case was settled confidentially in 2014.
“It was almost like she hired me just to get my kidney,” Stevens said.