Hospital secretary sues after losing job due to overscheduling patients

Rose Hitchen filed a lawsuit against her employer Southeast Community Health Systems claiming she was a victim of race and age discrimination.

The lawsuit was filed on May 2 in federal court in New Orleans.

According to the lawsuit, Hitchen filed an age and race discrimination complaint due to a co-worker being promoted. She claims that after she filed this charge with the EEOC, her supervisors began to harass her in retaliation.

Shortly after announcing she was going out for medical leave for knee surgery, the defendant moved her to another clinic location, the suit claims. When she returned from medical leave, she worked approximately three weeks before she was demoted. She complained about the treatment to the EEOC and in April 2010, Hitchen was terminated for inability to meet her employer's requirements by mishandling a patient's insurance and for over scheduling a doctor's patients. Hitchen claims she was terminated for filing the race and age discrimination complaint.

The plaintiff is seeking damages for lost pay, emotional distress, medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, punitive damages and attorney's fees.

Hitchen is represented by Metairie attorney J. Courtney Wilson. A jury trial is requested.

U.S. District Judge Martin L. C. Feldman is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:11-cv-01029