MORGANTOWN – Another lawsuit has been filed against Monongalia County General Hospital for discrimination.
Mary Alkire was employed by the hospital for 35 years as a dietary aid in the Nutritional Service Department, according to a complaint filed June 23 in Monongalia Circuit Court.
Alkire claims in December 2013, following the retirement of Delores Shaffer, she began to experience harassment from her supervisors, mainly Megan and Leah, including overloading her by giving her Shaffer's work and picking on her with comments about her not doing her job.
All of the harassment was done in an effort to force Alkire to quit her job, according to the suit.
Alkire claims the pressure and harassment from the hospital and her supervisors became so unbearable that she was forced to seek medical care from her doctor and she was prescribed medication for depression, migraine headaches and high blood pressure.
On July 7, 2014, Alkire was called into a meeting with her supervisors, Mark, Patrick and Megan, and two other women, where she was asked to resign and told to write out a letter of resignation, according to the suit.
Alkire claims the termination violated the hospital's employment policies.
The defendant violated the West Virginia Human Rights Act by discriminating against Alkire based on her age, according to the suit.
Alkire claims the defendants also wrongfully discharged her employment.
The defendant's actions caused Alkire to suffer damages, including lost wages, mental anguish, humiliation and damage to her reputation, according to the suit;
Alkire is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Edward R. Kohout.
Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the hospital recently do to age discrimination and harassment. Kohout also represents those plaintiffs in their separate cases.
Alkire filed another lawsuit previously against the hospital for age discrimination in April.
Monongalia Circuit Court case number: 15-C-405