A former Rocket Mortgage employee is accusing the company of creating a hostile workplace and violating the American with Disabilities Act due to her medical conditions, according to a new discrimination lawsuit.
In legal documents filed in Michigan federal district court in March, the former employee, Ashley Isberg, said company leaders intentionally derailed her career upon notification of her disabilities and the need for medical accommodations. Isberg also claimed Rocket later pressured her to resign several times.
Isberg first joined Detroit-based Rocket Mortgage in 2016 as a claims specialist and was promoted on multiple occasions over the next seven years until she informed the company of her health setbacks.
"This suit involves defendant Rocket Mortgage's illegal discrimination, failure to accommodate, hostile work environment, failure to engage in the interactive process and retaliation against Isberg in violation of both federal and Michigan law," the plaintiff's lawyers wrote in the filing.
Plaintiff's ADA allegations
Isberg first requested medical accommodations to work from home in 2023, citing several conditions, including Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, a nervous system disorder that can cause fainting and make driving dangerous, and Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune thyroid condition known for causing fatigue.
Rocket granted the initial request, but after a subsequent medical leave of absence, Isberg saw her former responsibilities reassigned in 2024 upon her return to work and no indication the company had plans for her to participate on similar projects.
The lending giant also segregated Isberg at the workplace and removed her from project-related correspondence, the lawsuit alleged. Promotions and leadership training opportunities she previously received ground to a halt as well, she said.
Over the next several months, a series of other interactions heightened tensions between Isberg and her employer according to the suit.
In late 2024, Isberg submitted a new remote-work request with documentation from medical professionals noting the unsafe nature of driving when afflicted with POTS.
Several months later, Rocket leaders suggested Isberg resign due to her health conditions and accept a separation package, the plaintiff's lawyers claimed.
Upon Isberg's refusal, Rocket leaders returned with the same proposal a few weeks later.
"During the June 13, 2025, meeting, Rocket Mortgage's unlawful actions further exacerbated Isberg's conditions, and resulted in Isberg experiencing an emotional breakdown, hyperventilating and bringing the meeting to an end," the filing said.
Days later, Isberg said she received details of an unwanted severance package, which was labeled a "career transition plan," a term Rocket has used on occasion for voluntary buyouts.
Upon further refusal, Isberg requested another leave of absence allowable under ADA and additional federal and state laws to deal with the mental health crisis resulting from the meetings. Leadership initially denied the request, telling Isberg resubmission of necessary paperwork would be required for reconsideration.
A subsequent separate request for work-from-home accommodations was also filed by Isberg in late summer 2025, but despite multiple follow-up queries by the plaintiff, Rocket claimed it had never received paperwork from Isberg, the lawsuit said. Rocket then mandated Isberg return to office in September of that year.
The company's moves constituted constructive discharge, a legal term that occurs when an employer creates or permits unreasonable working conditions that cause employees to resign, according to Isberg's lawyers.
Isberg seeks a jury trial and monetary damages, including at least $75,000 for the denial of medical leave.
In a statement sent to National Mortgage News, Rocket disputed all plaintiff claims. "We deny any allegations of disability discrimination, retaliation or other wrongdoing. This team member voluntarily resigned, even after we went above and beyond to help them and made several attempts to provide accommodations and other support," the company said.
Similar discrimination lawsuits confronting the mortgage industry
Isberg's lawyers had responded to a National Mortgage News inquiry prior to publication. The current case, however, is not the first time Rocket has faced allegations of ADA workplace discrimination.
In 2023, a Rocket vice president who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder claimed company leadership regularly displayed hostile behavior toward him before eventually terminating his employment while he was on medical leave.
Meanwhile, a former executive document specialist fired in 2022 after Rocket denied her requests for reduced hours and remote work filed an ADA discrimination lawsuit after her termination. Last year, a federal district judge ruled in favor of Rocket in a summary judgment, citing plaintiff's failure to provide the company with necessary documentation to grant her requests.
In a case from late last year bearing similarities to the Rocket lawsuits, a former Fannie Mae data scientist sued the enterprise, alleging he was terminated while on a medical leave of absence he needed to deal with the mental stress following a house fire. No reason was provided for his termination, but lawyers accused Fannie Mae of discrimination due to his newly acquired disability.
