The filing claims HR questioned whether he even needed FMLA/ADA protections
A former Transamerica executive is suing the company, alleging it escalated his performance demands after he disclosed depression and suicidal thoughts.
Chad K. Butler, who served as Regional Vice President of Mutual Funds, filed suit on March 17 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah against Transamerica Life Insurance Company and Transamerica Capital, LLC, alleging violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (Butler v. Transamerica Capital, LLC, et al., No. 2:26-cv-00223).
According to court filings, Butler joined Transamerica on or about June 30, 2023, as a remote employee covering Utah, Oregon, and Idaho. He initially reported to a supervisor who, by his account, regularly praised his work. That changed in or around November 2023 when his reporting line shifted to Jared Guerin.
On or about March 12, 2024, Butler told Guerin via text message that he had depression and was "currently struggling with it more than usual." He alleges that almost immediately after this disclosure, Guerin overhauled his work expectations — requiring thirty in-person meetings per week, with at least fifteen booked at least two weeks in advance. Butler says these targets were not imposed on any of his similarly situated colleagues.
By June 2024, the situation had worsened. On June 12, Butler emailed Guerin: "Jared, I need to take some time off to figure out what is going on. I don't want to be alive anymore, which for obvious reasons makes it difficult for me to work."
Days later, HR representative Jacinta Jargo called him. According to the filing, she asked whether he still wanted to move forward with the FMLA/ADA request, noting he seemed to be doing well and might not need it. She then, the filing states, very strongly emphasized that there should be no more unexcused absences.
Butler formally submitted requests for intermittent FMLA leave and ADA accommodations on or about June 24, 2024. He alleges that after approval, modified expectations were created without his involvement and handed to him as the new standard — fifteen weekly in-person meetings and weekly sales and meetings quotas he had never previously been held to, and that none of his colleagues faced. He claims he was never included in the interactive process, the back-and-forth between employer and employee that the ADA expects when working out reasonable accommodations.
He says he flagged concerns about retaliation and disparate treatment to both HR and a Transamerica director. Neither, he alleges, provided a meaningful response. The filing also claims Butler was instructed to use his budget to "buy business" through sponsorship funds, a practice described in the filing as illegal and unethical.
Butler resigned on or about November 8, 2024, alleging he had no viable alternative to preserve his health and employment rights. The case brings claims for FMLA discrimination and retaliation, FMLA interference, ADA discrimination, ADA retaliation, and constructive termination. He is seeking lost wages, compensatory and liquidated damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees.
No determination has been made on the merits, and Transamerica has not yet responded to the allegations.
