SHERMAN — A Denton County woman is suing her former employer, alleging she was given poor treatment due to her age and terminated for unfair reasons.
Roni Gonzalez filed a complaint March 26 in the Sherman Division of the Eastern District of Texas against Mayhill Behavioral Health LLC, alleging violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.
According to the complaint, Gonzalez was employed by Mayhill Behavioral Health for more than four years beginning in November 2013 as director of health information management. The plaintiff was 55 years old at the time of her termination.
The suit says Gonzalez was told by her supervisor Jan. 17, 2018, that she was being suspended due to a complaint by the director of patient access that the plaintiff had given access to medical records for a former employee, which the plaintiff agreed to having done.
Gonzalez alleges, however, that she never left former employees unattended during their visits. She said she called the employer Jan. 19, 2018 to find out see when she could return to work. The defendant, the suit says, informed Gonzalez that a decision had not yet been made.
On Jan. 22, 2018, the plaintiff says she was asked to come to talk with a human resources employee who was between 20 and 30 years old. The suit says the employee told Gonzalez that she needed to pack her belongings. The plaintiff alleges she was discharged and given her personal belongings and taken out of the building.
Gonzalez alleges that she had been given confidential patient information in her personal belongings, which had been placed in the box by other employees. The plaintiff does not know of any discipline that has been doled out to those who disclosed this information.
At the time of her discharge, the plaintiff said she was earning more than $86,000 a year, plus benefits.
Gonzalez seeks trial by jury, actual damages, liquidated and punitive damages, attorney fees, court costs and all other just relief. She is represented by attorneys Ronald R. Huff and Robert E. Richardson Jr. and Robert E. K. Richardson of Richardson Law Firm in Sherman.
Sherman Division of the Eastern District of Texas case number 4:19-CV-00230-ALM-KPJ