HOUSTON - Claiming she underwent racial discrimination and ultimately termination from Northwest Diagnostic Clinic P.A., Vanessa Evan-Rhodes has filed a lawsuit.
Evan-Rhodes's suit, filed June 3 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas, says the plaintiff was sacked for filing a complaint.
At the time of the events in question, Evan-Rhodes was employed as a healthcare coding specialist/auditor.
She explains that on June, 2, 2011, her co-worker made a racially derogatory comment towards blacks to her.
"Highly offended" by the remark, the plaintiff immediately spoke to her supervisor.
The original petition asserts said supervisor allegedly told the complainant "to sleep on it" when it came to filing a report, insinuating the latter "needed to really think about whether or not she truly wanted to lodge such a complaint."
Evan-Rhodes says she then went to the defendant's human resources director and was subjected to retaliation afterwards.
The respondent terminated her on June 7, 2011.
"Following her complaints of racial discrimination and harassment, the plaintiff became a victim of retaliation and was ultimately terminated," the suit says.
A jury trial is requested.
Attorney Melissa Moore of Moore & Associates in Houston is representing Evan-Rhodes.
Case No. 4:13-CV-1626
Black woman's complaint about racist comment caused clinic to fire her, lawsuit says
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