MORGANTOWN – Another lawsuit has been filed against Monongalia County General Hospital alleging a former employee was discriminated against.
John Sansone was employed as a monitor tech in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital from 1984 until March 23, according to a complaint filed June 17 in Monongalia Circuit Court.
Sansone claims beginning in 2012, he began experiencing on-the-job harassment by his new supervisor, Mary Jo Sabatelli.
The plaintiff was subjected to a constant stream of insulting and negative comments about his work and received bogus disciplinary write ups for violations of company policy, according to the suit.
Sansone claims the controversy centered on a "power struggle" with a fellow monitor tech in the department known as James, who was a younger worker and was favored by Sabatelli.
Sabatelli "tormented" Sansone and created a hostile work environment, which was designed to force him to quit his job, according to the suit.
Sansone claims on March 25, Sabatelli terminated his employment.
The termination violated the hospital's own employment policies and was part of Monongalia General's well-documented pattern and practice of discriminating and harassing older workers, led by senior management and CEO Darryl Duncan, according to the suit.
Sansone claims the defendant violated the West Virginia Human Rights Act and wrongfully terminated his employment.
Sansone is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is being represented by Edward R. Kohout.
This marks the seventh lawsuit filed against the hospital for discrimination filed in the last few months. Kohout also represents the other plaintiffs in their lawsuits.
Monongalia Circuit Court case number: 15-C-386