The former branch manager of the Huntington Bank at 3857 E Grand River Ave. near Latson Road in Howell filed suit in federal court Monday, claiming she was fired after 30 years of employment after taking time under the Family Medical Leave Act to be with her daughter, who was dying of breast cancer in California.
Terri Estepp, 51, of Howell, managed the Huntington Bank in Howell since 2000 and said it was like a “second home” to her. She took various leaves of absence to be with her 31-year-old daughter, Samantha, who lived in California, as she underwent treatment after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Estepp told WDIV that she had worked for Huntington for nearly 30 years, and had plenty of time off to use to be with her daughter. She also took some time off through Huntington Bank’s Caretaker Time Off program before filing for the federal Family Medical Leave Act.
In the spring of 2024, Estepp said her daughter’s condition worsened, and she took time off. She returned to work and informed Huntington Bank that she would need to take time off again; she was fired that same day. Her daughter died 10 days later.
Estepp, who said she was never given a reason for her firing, filed the federal lawsuit alleging that Huntington Bank wrongfully denied her FMLA benefits.
“I want people to know what they did was wrong so they don’t do it to someone else,” Estepp said.
Huntington Bank told WDIV that Estepp’s departure from the bank was “unrelated to an FMLA leave of absence.”
