AUGUSTA – A woman whose daughter was fatally shot in a landlord-tenant dispute in 2012 has sued her former employer, saying it failed to accommodate her depression and fired her illegally.

Jocelyne Welch is seeking damages in her lawsuit against the American Red Cross, where she worked until September 2015.

The lawsuit was moved to U.S. District Court in Portland last week.

Welch’s daughter, 18-year-old Alivia Welch, and her daughter’s boyfriend were shot and killed by their landlord in Biddeford in a dispute over snow removal. James Pak was sentenced to life in prison.

Jocelyne Welch says she asked for accommodations like working three days instead of four. She says the Red Cross didn’t comply with such requests and fired her despite her depression and PTSD.

A Red Cross spokeswoman said the organization doesn’t comment on personnel matters.


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