Cleveland hospital fired director for making too much money 'for a woman,' lawsuit says

HOUSTON - Accusing a Cleveland medical facility of firing her for allegedly making too much money "for a woman," Montgomery County resident Tina Johnstone has filed a lawsuit.

Johnstone filed suit against Cleveland Imaging & Surgical Hospital LLC, doing business as Diagnostic Hospital of Cleveland, and its director/manager, Dr. Camil I. Kreit on Sept. 23 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas. 

At the time of the events in question, Johnstone worked as the hospital's director of business and development and claims she had a clean performance record.

According to the allegations in the suit, Johnstone was terminated while the hospital CEO, her direct supervisor, was out of the country on business.

"The pretext for her termination was that the hospital was cutting staff and was cutting everyone's pay by 50 per cent," the original petition says.

"However, the plaintiff later learned that the hospital was not cutting personnel or reducing the pay of its employees."

Johnstone adds she later discovered that Dr. Kreit told others that she "earned too much money for a woman, was a 'glorified secretary' and needed to be terminated."

Kreit purportedly ordered the hospital CIO, whom did not oversee the plaintiff, to carry out the termination.

A jury trial is requested.

Attorney Lee Keller King of Hrbacek & Associates PC in Sugar Land is representing Johnstone.

Case No. 4:13-CV-2800