Nurse says she was victim of age discrimination

A Texas nurse is suing over claims she was fired five months before her retirement due to her age.

Melinda Garcia filed a lawsuit Oct. 29 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against Memorial Hermann, Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, Nina Emoelogu and Linda Arfele, citing age discrimination.

According to the complaint, Garcia was employed by Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital as a licensed vocational nurse and only five months away from retirement when she was fired. The complaint states Garcia was older than 40 and thus part of the class of employees protected under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act at the time of her dismissal. Garcia says the defendants failed to properly investigate the facts leading to her termination and denied her an impartial mediation process. The defendants are accused of age discrimination.

Garcia seeks damages including attorney fees, lost wages and benefits, loss of Social Security benefits, back pay, front pay, retirement benefits, interest and costs of suit.

She is represented by attorney Tanika J. Solomon of Houston.

Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number: 4:14-CV-03101