Ohio Co. woman says she was fired for refusing to issue Methadone

WHEELING -- An Ohio County woman is suing over claims she was fired for refusing to issue medication she believed would be dangerous for a patient.

Joyce Walton filed a lawsuit July 3 in Ohio Circuit Court against Wheeling Treatment Center LLC, CRC Health Group Inc. and Bain Capital LLC.

According to the complaint, on Feb. 11, a patient appeared at Wheeling Treatment Center, where Walton was employed as a nurse, and Walton required the patient to perform a urine sample, which she and another nurse read as positive for Methadone.

Walton says after she denied issuing the same, the patient complained, and the clinical supervisor and the director got involved and read the strip as negative. Walton says she refused to issue the medication to the patient for the patient's own safety and another nurse, who is younger than Walton, was coerced by management into doing so.

According to the complaint, after the incident, Walton noticed the director seemingly ignoring her, and her employment was terminated Feb. 18.

The defendant companies are involved in a joint venture regarding the operation of Wheeling Treatment Center, and are accused of violating the Patient Safety Act, age discrimination and violating the West Virginia Wage Payment and Collection Act. Walton is seeking damages, lost wages, lost benefits and court costs.

She is being represented in the case by attorney Ronald Wm Kasserman of Kasserman Law Offices PLLC in Wheeling. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge James P. Mazzone.

Ohio Circuit Court Case No. 14-C-192