Employment
3-3-2011 17:00:00


     CONTRA COSTA, CALIF. (CN) - A former employee has filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente in Superior Court. She accuses Kaiser of harassment and firing her when she complained about it.
     According to the suit, in May 2007, Leslie Hawkins was hired by Kaiser as an Assistant Nurse Manager of Perinatal Services at the Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center.(3) "Hawkins further alleges that at all relevant times during her employment with Defendants she performed her duties in an excellent fashion; that she received performance evaluations over the course of her employment attesting to her excellent performance," the suit states.
     In December 2008, Hawkins states that she "noted gross deficiencies in the policies and procedures employed by Defendants, and that the actions of her direct managers, Linda Ackerman and Tracey Thomas, violated Kaiser policies."
     Further, the suit claims that "when Hawkins refused to stop speaking about unlawful working conditions, refused to withdraw her complaint and continued to further cooperate with an investigation, she received a poor evaluation on or about March 5, 2009, and was subsequently directed to look for another job within the Kaiser organization or be otherwise terminated."
     "Hawkins alleges that as a legal consequence of said unlawful harassment, retaliation and reprisals that she has suffered emotional injuries and ailments. The unlawful retaliation and reprisals have caused Plaintiff to suffer damages, including but not limited to shock, worry, anxiety, embarrassment, humiliation, fear, loss of sleep, depression, mental anguish ... and other pain and suffering damages according to proof," the suit states.
     Hawkins seeks compensatory, general, statutory, exemplary and punitive damages among other damages. She is represented by Patricia Kramer with Neasham & Kramer.