Obama Foundation Sued Ex-Employee Says She Was Fired After Medical Leave

Published May 1, 2026 8:16 AM PDT

The Barack Obama Foundation just got dragged to court by a former employee who claims she asked for mental health help ... but got shown the door instead.

According to a new federal lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, a woman named Tifphany McClinton says she worked as a curatorial assistant from mid-2023 until she was fired in December 2025 -- and alleges the nonprofit failed her at nearly every turn.

McClinton claims she suffers from anxiety, PTSD, depression and scoliosis -- conditions she says required accommodations like physical therapy during work hours and a modified schedule that allowed her to leave the office by 3 PM.

But instead of support, she says she got resistance ... and worse.

In one shocking allegation, McClinton claims a coworker jokingly told her to jump off an 11th-floor balcony to kill herself -- a comment she says triggered a severe mental health crisis. She says she reported it to HR, but claims nothing meaningful was done in response.

The lawsuit paints a picture of an employee asking for help ... and getting sidelined. McClinton says her requests for accommodations were never properly formalized ... and at times she was warned her reduced in-office presence could hurt her career.

She also claims things escalated after she took medical leave.

According to the suit ... she used FMLA leave multiple times to deal with her conditions, including a roughly 9-week stretch in 2024. But she alleges that after returning, she faced increased scrutiny, new expectations, and what she describes as retaliatory treatment -- including a performance review that was allegedly altered while she was out.

By late 2025, she says she had no choice but to take leave again ... and while still dealing with her health issues, she claims she was then fired.

McClinton claims the stated reason for her termination was performance-related ... but she says that’s just a cover for disability discrimination and retaliation for requesting accommodations and taking protected medical leave.

She’s now suing under the ADA, Illinois state law, and the FMLA -- seeking damages, back pay, and more.

We've reached out to the Obama Foundation ... so far, no word back.