CHARLESTON — A Dunbar woman is suing Thomas Health System arguing she was wrongfully terminated from her employment.
Marianne Withohn-Atkins, Jennie Kahn, Kim Oldaker, Shella James and Beth Davis were also named as defendants in the suit.
Alexandra Roop was employed by Thomas Health System in a probationary period having been hired on Aug. 17, 2020, according to a complaint filed in Kanawha Circuit Court.
Roop claims she was assigned to a male patient on Oct. 19, 2020, and given the task of inserting a three-way foley for the purposes of attaching a continuous bladder irrigation solution, but she was not familiar with the catheter and sought help and Withohn-Atkins was told by another person to assist Roop.
Roop claims Withohn-Atkins had numerous prior complaints about habits, practices and inappropriate and improper treatment of patients and Withohn-Atkins made a joke before showing Roop the procedure.
The placement Withohn-Atkins showed Roop was in contradiction with what she was taught during training, according to the suit.
Roop claims she reported Withohn-Atkins' behavior and was told it would be looked into. Several days later, she was caring for another patient and made complaints about Withohn-Atkins again. At that point, she was moved to a different floor and suspended.
Roop claims on Oct. 30, 2020, she was called into the hospital and presented with a document that terminated her employment. She claims she refused to sign the document and was physically assaulted and told she was not allowed to leave the room.
The plaintiff claims she was held against her will and when she attempted to file for unemployment later on, the defendant made false reports to Workforce West Virginia, according to the suit.
Roop is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is represented by Michael T. Clifford of Charleston.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 21-C-967