WINFIELD — KB Infusion Services and its manager are suing West Virginia Nursing Network Infusion Services for wrongful termination.
Laura Hopkins, also known as Jill Hopkins; and Brittany Reffitt were also named as defendants in the suit.
Takonia Williams and KB Infusions claim Williams was hired by WVNNIS as a registered nurse on May 14, 2022, and worked full time providing infusion of primarily blood products until her wrongful termination on Dec. 31, 2022, according to a complaint filed in Putnam Circuit Court.
The plaintiffs claim during her employment, Hopkins began making inappropriate demands of her, such as demanding her to have sexual relations with a mutual acquaintance.
Hopkins was relentless with her egregious and inappropriate behavior against Williams, according to the suit.
Williams claims Hopkins was irate that Williams refused to undertake the inappropriate sexual behavior and blatantly began taking retaliatory actions against her by accusing her of violations and modifying her schedule.
"Plaintiff WIlliams was harassed and subsequently fired from her employment at WVNNIS, wrongfully, due to the fact that she refused to have sex at the direction of her supervisor, despite her supervisor's incessant pressure upon Plaintiff Williams to do so," the complaint states.
Reffitt and WVNNIS knew or should have known that Hopkins was making inappropriate and egregiously wrongful conduct and failed to protect Williams, according to the suit.
Williams claims on Jan. 6, 2023, she was paid for her hours performing actual infusions work performed, but was not paid for work performed as required by law for May through December 2022, which violates the West Virginia Wage Payment and Collection Act.
On Dec. 10, 2022, Williams created KB Infusions LLC, but no work was performed by the business while Williams was employed by WVNNIS, according to the suit. The defendants then took action against Williams.
Williams claims the defendants violated public policy, wrongfully terminated her employment, harassed her, were negligent and defamed her.
Williams is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is represented by James M. Pierson of Pierson Legal Services in Charleston.
Putnam Circuit Court case number: 23-C-33