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Former employee sues PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center

By Jessica Prokop, Columbian Local News Editor
Published: October 29, 2015, 3:17pm

A woman has filed a lawsuit against her former supervisor and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, alleging, among other things, wrongful termination, sexual harassment and disability discrimination.

Robyn Boose and her husband, Randy, filed the complaint Monday against the hospital and her former interim supervisor, Tobin Whitaker. They are seeking monetary damages.

A spokesman with PeaceHealth said the hospital could not comment on the pending litigation.

The suit claims that on April 24, Whitaker “barged” into Robyn Boose’s office, closed the blinds, shut the door and shouted at her and intimidated her physically. Whitaker allegedly made comments that Boose was not a good fit for her position because she was an “inexperienced woman.”

Boose served as an admitting manager for PeaceHealth from April 3 to Aug. 17, the suit says.

On June 22, a similar incident unfolded during which Whitaker told Boose she wasn’t a good fit because she has a special needs child and the position required long working hours, the lawsuit claims.

Boose reported Whitaker’s conduct a few days later to Human Resources workers, according to the lawsuit. She also reported she was suffering from severe anxiety as a result of the poor treatment and that it was impairing her ability to work. PeaceHealth did not offer any accommodations, the suit said.

In July, Boose gave a detailed report of Whitaker’s conduct to Human Resources workers, the complaint said.

However, Boose was fired on Aug. 17 after she had obtained one of her employee’s passwords to assist in a computer problem, according to the lawsuit.

She subsequently received an email from PeaceHealth’s Organizational Integrity department, the suit says, recommending written discipline, education and that operational leadership and Human Resources be informed.

The Washington Employment Security Department further concluded Oct. 15 that Boose’s alleged misconduct hadn’t been established, according to the complaint.

Boose says she had a clean disciplinary record and that other employees shared passwords without facing similar punishment.

The lawsuit claims that PeaceHealth sent a letter to all employees on Sept. 22 falsely alleging that someone who had been terminated on Aug. 17 had improperly accessed and stolen more than 346 client files. Several employees deduced the letter referenced Boose, the suit said.

As a result of the situation, Boose says she’s been unable to find work in her chosen profession and has suffered significant psychological trauma and physical pain. Her psychological injuries have also affected the lives of her family members, the lawsuit said.

It’s unclear if Whitaker is still employed by the hospital.

The Booses are being represented by NW Business Law in Bend, Ore.

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