MotorCity Casino Sued by Worker Fired While Recovering from Coronary Bypass

A former security officer at Detroit’s MotorCity Casino has sued his former employer, alleging he was fired while recovering from open-heart surgery despite submitting medical documentation approving his leave.

Tyrone Davidson filed the lawsuit Tuesday (July 15) in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, accusing Detroit Entertainment LLC, which operates MotorCity Casino Hotel, of disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, retaliation, and violating both federal disability law and Michigan employment statutes.

Medical Emergency

According to the complaint, Davidson was hired as a security officer in September 2022. After suffering chest pains in December that year, he became seriously ill while on duty and was taken by ambulance to Henry Ford Hospital. He later underwent coronary artery bypass surgery on January 23, 2023.

The lawsuit alleges Davidson requested medical leave as a reasonable accommodation for his heart condition and that his doctor submitted the required certification to the casino’s third-party leave administrator on February 13, 2023.

The paperwork certified that Davidson would remain medically unable to work until May 10, 2023, and transmission records showed the documents were successfully faxed, according to the lawsuit.

Despite this, Davidson claims MotorCity terminated his employment on February 27, telling him he had been on unauthorized leave since February 2 because it had not received the necessary medical documentation.

The plaintiff contends the explanation was false because the certification had been submitted two weeks earlier and he had immediately notified the casino’s human resources department of the discrepancy on the day he was fired.

Davidson contends the casino and its leave administrator failed to properly process his medical certification, refused to investigate the apparent error after being alerted to it, and did not engage in the interactive process required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) before firing him.

EEOC Steps In

The complaint notes that the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigated Davidson’s allegations and, in March 2026, issued a determination finding reasonable cause to believe MotorCity violated the ADA.

Additionally, Davidson alleges MotorCity unlawfully refused to provide his personnel records after he requested them while his discrimination complaint was pending.

He is seeking back pay, reinstatement or front pay, compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees, and an order requiring the casino to correct his employment records and provide access to his personnel file.

Casino.org has contacted MotorCity for comment.