Ex-Hollywood Columbus Poker Manager Fired After Cancer Tracheotomy Sues PENN Entertainment

Posted on: September 16, 2025, 11:46h. 

Last updated on: September 16, 2025, 11:59h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • Former manager alleges firing tied to cancer treatment recovery
  • Lawsuit cites ADA, Ohio law, and workplace discrimination
  • Seeks damages, reinstatement, or compensation for wrongful termination

A former poker room manager at the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio, who was told a tracheotomy he had undergone as part of his cancer treatment was “unsightly,” is suing the casino’s owner, PENN Entertainment.

Penn Entertainment, disability discrimination, cancer treatment, ADA lawsuit, Hollywood Casino Columbus
The Hollywood Casino Columbus, above, where plaintiff Michael Conroy plied his trade as a shift manager, until he was fired in May of this year. His lawsuit claims the company pushed him out after questioning his ability to work during cancer treatment. (Image: Shutterstock)

Michael Conroy claims the company discriminated against him because of his cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment, which he says ultimately led to him being fired.

As he was being escorted from the building on the day his employment was terminated, a manager told him the company might consider rehiring him “if his condition improved,” according to the lawsuit.

Undermined by HR

The complaint, filed September 12 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, claims Conroy was fired on May 22 after managers questioned his ability to work while undergoing treatment. The lawsuit seeks damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Ohio civil rights law.

Conroy started working at the casino as an assistant shift manager in the poker room in June 2022. Seven months later, he was promoted to shift manager, according to the complaint.

In October 2023, he was diagnosed with cancer and soon began chemotherapy and radiation. He took a period of federally protected medical leave in early 2025, returning to work in February, according to the lawsuit.

Problems escalated in March. Conroy said that after tripping twice at work — once on a customer’s bag and once on torn carpet — he was called into a meeting with human resources.

There, an HR manager allegedly told him it was “unsightly for customers to see him talking through a tube,” referring to the tracheotomy tube he used as part of his treatment. She asked him to cover the tube with a mask and questioned whether his medication affected his ability to walk or perform his job, according to the complaint.

That same day, Conroy was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan, or PIP. He contends the plan lacked clear standards and promised follow-up meetings with supervisors never materialized. Despite his repeated requests for criteria, he said he never received them.

‘Malicious, Reckless’

Conroy filed a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in June. The EEOC issued a “Notice of Right to Sue” in July, clearing the way for him to take the case to court

The lawsuit argues PENN violated both federal and state law by discriminating against Conroy on the basis of disability, retaliating against him, and failing to provide reasonable accommodations. It asks for back pay, reinstatement or front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and other relief.

“Defendant acted willfully, maliciously and in conscious and/or reckless disregard for Plaintiff’s rights,” the complaint states.

PENN Entertainment hasn’t yet filed a response to the lawsuit. A spokesperson for the company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.