HOUSTON – Brazoria County resident Aaron Arias is pursuing legal action against CHI St. Luke’s Health Baylor College of Medicine Medical Center, alleging the defendant terminated him for “reporting violations of law pertaining to patient health and safety.”
Arias’ lawsuit, which was filed on July 3 in the Harris County 234th District Court, asserts the plaintiff was fired because he raised issue with a physician bringing a coffee cup into a sterile operating room.
Court documents explain that as the respondent’s Director of Cardiovascular Services, Arias “was responsible for ensuring that staff follow health and safety laws and regulations.”
The plaintiff says Dr. Ali Mortazavi confronted him in his office regarding the coffee cup. Mortazavi, who is not party in the litigation, reportedly threatened to have Arias fired.
The original petition states that the plaintiff immediately emailed the appropriate management personnel about Mortazavi’s conduct, but CHI St. Luke’s failed to take action.
According to Arias, the defendant terminated him “two and a half months after his report.”
Consequently, he seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
Dorian Vandenberg-Rodes of the law firm Shellist Lazarz Slobin LLP in Houston is representing the complainant.
Harris County 234th District Court Case No. 2018-44472