Decorated vet says Eurofins Diatherix fired him as president after PTSD diagnosis

HUNTSVILLE — The former president of Eurofins Diatherix is suing the company, claiming he was fired just days after he told corporate leadership that he had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and was in the early stages of treatment.

Peter Carothers, a combat-decorated former Marine, filed the lawsuit last week in the Northern District of Alabama. He is represented by Artur Davis of HKM Employment Attorneys.

According to the lawsuit, Carothers, who was hired as president of Eurofins Diatherix in 2021, had received consistent praise from the corporation’s senior leadership. In fact, he had been consistently rewarded for his performance annually with robust stock options and other bonus incentives, the suit said.

Then, last January, four days after disclosing his PTSD diagnosis to his senior leadership team, Carothers said he was fired. Prior to that date, according to the lawsuit, Carothers had never received any kind of verbal or written reprimand for his performance and had no indication that his job might be in jeopardy.

Replying to an email request for comment from 256 Today, Eurofins Diatherix said last week, “Thank you for your inquiry. We will respond as soon as possible.”

Eurofins Diatherix, based in the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, is a highly specialized laboratory providing cutting-edge molecular diagnostic testing services to hospitals and physicians.

A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Business School, Carothers served as an officer in the Marine Corps from 2008-12 and was twice deployed to Afghanistan, the lawsuit said. He commanded troops in more than 30 combat engagements and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a “V” for combat distinction.

Unfortunately, like approximately 15% of Afghanistan veterans, Carothers suffers from severe PTSD and was officially diagnosed in 2024, roughly three years after he was hired as president of Eurofins Diatherix Laboratories, the lawsuit said.

Last February, Carothers filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to the lawsuit, investigators at the EEOC pressed Eurofins for any documentation from before Carrothers’ PTSD disclosure indicating that the company had intended to fire the veteran. Eurofins failed to provide any, the lawsuit said.

“Peter Carothers served this nation with valor and helped turn a struggling company around with that same mix of savvy and fortitude,” said Davis. “Almost the minute Diatherix learned of his fight with PTSD, this European owned company abandoned him. They picked the wrong state in which to dishonor a veteran.

“Letting Diatherix get away with this sends a message to every veteran in America that getting treatment for PTSD could get them fired.”

According to the lawsuit, Carothers is seeking “a jury trial, back pay, front pay, lost benefits, compensatory damages to the extent allowed by law under the ADA, attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest at the highest lawful rate, and such other equitable and monetary relief as the court deems just and proper.”

To view the filed complaint, click HERE.