Sexual Harassment, Hostility and Retaliation at Kaiser, Man Claims

1-24-2014 23:52:00

     ROSEVILLE, Calif. (CN) - A former Kaiser employee says in a Placer lawsuit that a co-worker harassed him by putting criticisms in daily logs, and then became his supervisor and retaliated against him for complaining.
     Meanwhile, he faced a flirtatious woman at work who would not stop touching him, he claims in a complaint filed in Placer County Superior Court.
     Gary Horton sued Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Doug McLaughlin, Larry Perrin, Nathan Hunter, John Suter and Danielle Hellbaum.
     According to the complaint, Horton had worked as an operating engineer for about 28 years and had “pain and disability as a result of cumulative work trauma to his shoulders, elbows, back and knees.”
     At Kaiser, he was assigned equipment “for preventative maintenance work, inspection to insure proper working order of the equipment in which he would make ‘rounds’ on a regular basis, and a final phase called ‘watch,’ consisting of service calls throughout the facility for emergency repairs,” the complaint states.
     A co-worker, Nathan Hunter, “disagreed with the manner and/or method of repair and/or replacement conducted by plaintiff and began harassing plaintiff by filing formal derogatory complaints in daily logs concerning plaintiff’s work. Plaintiff was unable to stop the harassment by meeting with said defendant, and therefore reported it to defendant John Suter and Larry Perrin,” the complaint continues.
     “Defendant Nathan Hunter then became supervisor over plaintiff and began to make assignments to plaintiff that gave rise to a heavier work load, despite plaintiff’s disabilities, causing plaintiff to obtain further medical treatment and suffer heightened stress,” according to the complaint.
     Meanwhile, Horton claims he had also had problems with a woman co-worker or supervisor, Danielle Hellbaum, who “continuously used sexual innuendos, body language and unwanted touching to sexually harass plaintiff, a married man.”
     “Plaintiff avoided being in the company of said defendant Hellbaum as much as possible. When she continued to harass plaintiff, he complained to defendants,” Horton’s complaint states. Horton says he confronted Hellbaum in the fall of 2011, but she “continued to harass plaintiff whenever the opportunity arose.”
     Horton seeks general, special, compensatory and punitive damages, interest and costs of suit. He is represented by Allan R. Frumkin of Loomis.