The company allegedly approved the same setup months earlier — with zero paperwork

MSC Cruises allegedly approved remote work without paperwork — then denied it as a disability accommodation, a new federal lawsuit claims.

The case, Holston v. MSC Cruises USA LLC (Case No. 0:26-cv-60706, S.D. Fla.), was filed on March 11, 2026, in the Southern District of Florida, and it lays out a scenario that should give every HR leader pause.

Leza Holston, a former Director of Groups Reservations at MSC Cruises, alleges she was subjected to discrimination based on both her race and a disclosed mental health condition, and that the company mishandled her requests for accommodation at nearly every turn.

According to the lawsuit, Holston — who was the only Black woman at the director level in her department — disclosed an anxiety condition to her supervisor in December 2023. The supervisor allegedly responded by telling her, "I'm gonna start talking harsh to you." What followed, the lawsuit claims, was a pattern of escalating hostility that included yelling, public ridicule, exclusion from team events, and contradictory directives.

But it is the accommodation timeline that may matter most to HR professionals.

The lawsuit alleges that from August to October 2024, MSC Cruises approved Holston to work remotely from Connecticut while she cared for her mother during a kidney transplant. No FMLA paperwork was required. No ADA forms. No medical documentation.

Months later, when Holston's attorney...

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