South Houston woman says hospital fired her for complaining about office administrator

HOUSTON - A South Houston woman claims Texas Children's Hospital fired her for taking action in response to disparate treatment at her expense, recent court papers say.

In a lawsuit filed Sept. 10 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas, Janet Gonzales explains that the hospital's office administrator singled her out for mistreatment because she is Latina.

TCH employed Gonzales as a medical assistant at the time of the events in question.

The suit shows that Keith Boggs reportedly made inappropriate comments toward the plaintiff, stating the latter subsequently filed a complaint with the human resources department.

It adds Boggs, who is not a defendant in the case, supposedly had a relationship with one of the employees.

Gonzales further alleges Boggs learned about her complaint and threatened her within earshot of two physicians.

Boggs began to systemically harass the claimant and write her up for minor infractions until the respondent fired her on Aug. 30, 2012, the original petition says.

According to Gonzales, her dismissal from TCH was in retaliation for the complaints she made about Boggs.

A jury trial is requested.

Attorney Nikeyla Johnson of the Johnson Law Firm in Houston is representing the plaintiff.

Case No. 4:13-CV-2654