CHARLESTON – A former receptionist at a medical facility says a physician harassed her and worsened her anxiety by yelling, screaming and throwing things at work.
Mikell Yvonne Chapman filed her complaint in Kanawha Circuit Court against Mountaineer Family Medicine and Dr. Mohammad Samah Kalou. In their answer, the defendants deny the allegations.
According to the complaint, Chapman says Kalou would scream at her for no reason, throw things near her, slam doors and otherwise deliberately worsen her anxiety. She says she told Kalou multiple times she suffered from anxiety and that his action were making her condition worse and not appropriate for a work setting.
Chapman also says Kalou’s actions created a hostile work environment and that he did not act in that manner around male counterparts, but only females. She says she also complained to office manager and supervisor Pam Dalton.
“Plaintiff begged Kalou to stop with his actions,” the complaint states. “Plaintiff complained about his actions and told Pam Dalton she feared Kalou and that plaintiff couldn’t continue to work if Kalou didn’t stop screaming and throwing things in the office.
“Kalou didn’t stop. In fact, his treatment of plaintiff gets worse after she complained. Plaintiff was forced to resign.”
Chapman say she resigned April 17, 2020.
She accuses the defendants of violations of the West Virginia Human Rights Act based upon disability and failure to accommodate disability and gender, negligent infliction of emotional distress and negligent hiring and retention.
In their answer, the defendants deny the allegations and seek to have the case dismissed.
“Defendants deny that plaintiff ever made a request for an accommodation,” the answer states.
Chapman seeks compensatory damages for lost wages, value of lost benefits, damages for mental and emotional distress, punitive damages, court costs and attorney fees.
She is being represented by D. Adrian Hoosier of Hoosier Law Firm in Charleston. The defendants are being represented by Joseph L. Amos Jr. and Karen H. Miller of Miller & Amos in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Kenneth Ballard.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 21-C-1138