Former employee sues Pleasant Valley Hospital

HUNTINGTON - A woman is suing her former employer over claims of hostile work environment and retaliation.

Linda Lieving filed a lawsuit Oct. 31 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia Division against Pleasant Valley Hospital Inc. and Thomas Schauer, citing violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, hostile and abusive work environment, gender discrimination in violation of West Virginia Human Rights Act, West Virginia Patient Safety Act and retaliation.

Lieving states that since April 11, 2007, she worked at Pleasant Valley Hospital in Point Pleasant in various roles, including Director of Quality and Accreditation. The complaint contends that on July 26, 2012, the plaintiff was interrupted and yelled at by Nurse Hill when she attempted to correct a medication wrongdoing at the nurses station.

The defendants allowed Nurse Hill's abusive actions towards Lieving because she was attempting to correct the hospital's waste and wrongdoing, according to the complaint.

The complaint states that due to Schauer's refusal to take patient safety issues seriously, failure and refusal to implement corrective actions and refusal to remedy the hostile work environment, Lieving resigned from the hospital on Nov. 27.

The plaintiff is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages, including lost wages, value of lost benefits, reinstatement and punitive damages. She is being represented in the case by Walt Auvil of Rusen & Auvil PLLC.

United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia Case No. 13-cv-27455