Can an employer fire you for requesting time off?

I know Ohio is an at will state. But my employer has bent over backwards for other employees and lets one woman work from home because of her kids. My mother was diagnosed with cancer and needed assistance. He agreed to let me take time off work and what I thought would be atleast part time is now nothing. It's like he used the situation to fire me, but hired me contract so I couldn't claim unemployment. I believe they've been wanting to get rid of me. If I never signed any papers releasing my employment and not signed a contract for "Contractor" can I file unemployment? I am about to lose my house HELP! He verbally told me my job was fine and its OBVIOUSLY not. I can without a doubt do everything from home fine and he wont let me. I get 10 hours a week IF that. They've even parsed job duties out that I CAN do from home, I have proof of this..and are planning to train employees to do my job. I do graphic/web design I mean come on...They've treated me like crap from day 1.

Let me rephrase that, I was rehired contract and told I will work from home. Only they dont send me enough work to even be part time. I asked him if I could still have 40 hours and he said if the work was there. The work was there but now its coincidentally unimportant for me to do even though it was HIGH HIGH priority. The agreement was that I work from home bottom line and I think he just agreed so he could get rid of me and me not be able to file unemployment :(

A valid and approved absence from work is not a ground for separation.