Stanley v. Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital

7 F. Supp. 3d 731, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37460, 122 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 414, 2014 WL 1154272
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedMarch 21, 2014
DocketCase No. 3:12CV2741
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 7 F. Supp. 3d 731 (Stanley v. Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stanley v. Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital, 7 F. Supp. 3d 731, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37460, 122 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 414, 2014 WL 1154272 (N.D. Ohio 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

JEFFREY J. HELMICK, District Judge.

Patricia Stanley filed her civil rights action against Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 2000e (Title VII). The hospital has moved for summary judgment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a). (Doc. 40). Stanley has filed a response (Doc. 46) and the hospital has filed a reply. (Doc. 47).

I. Jurisdiction and Venue

The Court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331. Venue is properly before this Court under 28 U.S.C. § 1391 and N.D. Ohio R. 3.8.

II. Facts

The undisputed facts establish Patricia Stanley is a former therapeutic program worker for the Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital located in Toledo, Ohio. Stanley worked for the hospital from May 24, 2010, until she resigned on November 27, 2012. [734]*734This case involves an inexcusable event which occurred between Stanley and Robert Ackerman at approximately 6:00 a.m. on August 25, 2011, in the hospital.

The hospital is a state psychiatric facility operated by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (department). The facility has two human resource employees: Lois Mason-Williams, who is the director, and Rachel Watson, who is Mason-Williams’s subordinate. The final decision-making power concerning discipline lies with the hospital’s Appointing Authority, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mychail Scheramic, who was the CEO of the hospital at the time of the incident.

The hospital maintains its own police force, headed by Chief Richard Bingham. The police officers possess arrest powers, but refer criminal activities to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, who have the first right of refusal on criminal matters. The hospital police conduct administrative investigations and investigate employee and patient complaints. At the time of the incident, Officers David Rocco and Kyle Hodge were assigned to the shift in question.

Robert Ackerman worked at the hospital from May 6, 1991, until he resigned. I note there is a conflict in the evidence regarding Ackerman’s resignation date. Ackerman’s employment record reflects an August 29, 2011 date, while several other documents reflect an August 31, 2011 resignation date. This conflict is immaterial to the disposition of this case. Ackerman was a ward nurse for five years and worked as a nurse supervisor for the remaining years of his employment.

Stanley began working at the hospital on May 24, 2010, as a therapeutic program worker. Stanley was assigned to the third shift, which was from 11:00 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. As a therapeutic program worker, Stanley assisted patients with their care and documented the care provided in patient notes.

When Stanley began working at the hospital, she underwent orientation. During her second day of employment, Stanley received an “EEO Overview” conducted by former training officer Tom Ohns, which concerned several topics including sexual harassment. Although the department maintains a separate sexual harassment policy, Stanley does not remember receiving this policy. The hospital is permitted to maintain separate policies so long as the facility meets the minimum guidelines set forth by the department. Stanley believes the hospital’s sexual harassment policy was distributed to her after the Ackerman incident.

Despite the training and policies, sexual discussions were common on the third shift and Stanley admits to engaging in such talk. “I felt comfortable enough to,” Stanley conceded. Other hospital employees attested hearing Stanley having sexual discussions.

The hospital requires two therapeutic workers to be assigned to each unit per shift. At the time of the incident, Stanley and therapeutic worker Rindy Crosby were assigned to Unit 400. At least one registered nurse was required to be at each unit per shift. Dennis Rodgers and Laurie Grant were the registered nurses assigned to Unit 400 on the night of the incident. The registered nurses reported to third shift Nursing Supervisors Robert Ackerman and Mary Hampton. Acker-man and Hampton reported to one of two Clinical Nurse Managers, who reported to Director of Nursing Kathy Anthony, who reported to CEO Scheramic. Ackerman was the third shift supervisor the night of the incident; Hampton was not working.

[735]*735Stanley’s lawsuit is based strictly on the August 25, 2011 incident. She has not raised any sexual harassment concerns with any hospital employee prior to the incident. Stanley testified she had not heard Ackerman make any inappropriate sexual comments to other employees prior to the incident.

Stanley thought Ackerman was “cool” and an “all right” guy prior to the incident. He never made any inappropriate comments towards her with the exception of inquiring about her brassiere size during the early part of her pregnancy in February/March 2011. Stanley found the comment to be “weird,” but did not report the comment or tell anyone about the remark.

Stanley gave birth on July 3, 2011. The night of the incident was the first time she had seen Ackerman since she had returned to work from maternity leave. When she started work at 11:00 p.m. on August 24, Stanley reported in at the supervisor’s office. Ackerman asked her if her nipples had gotten darker. Stanley responded by saying, “Oh my gosh, Bob,” and reported to her unit. Stanley does not recall anyone being present when Ackerman made this statement. The next time Stanley saw Ackerman was at approximately 6:00 a.m. on August 25.

Ackerman began talking to Stanley about her labor at the nurse’s desk. Stanley was seated in a chair, with Crosby sitting to her right taking notes on a computer. Ackerman was sitting in a chair across from Stanley and Crosby. Rodgers was in the doctor’s office, while Grant was at the nurse’s station. Rodgers’s view of the nurse’s desk was obstructed and he did not witness the interaction between Acker-man and Stanley. Grant could see Acker-man and Stanley through the glass wall at the nurse’s station. Grant did not hear or see anything inappropriate. Stanley describes this interaction as a twenty to thirty minute conversation regarding her childbirth, interspersed with questions and comments Stanley found offensive. Stanley testified “some of it was normal and then some of it was really gross.”

The first thing Ackerman did during this conversation which Stanley found offensive was to grab her stomach and ask her something to the effect of “did the doctor forget one in there.” Crosby scolded Ack-erman for his actions. Later, Ackerman asked if Stanley had stretch marks, and if so, if they were red or white. Stanley redirected the question to Crosby, and said, <cWhy don’t you ask Rindy? She has three kids.” Ackerman next asked her, “Do you still get wet down there now?”

Ackerman then asked Stanley if her breasts had gotten larger. Stanley responded, “I don’t know.” Ackerman said, “I have a way of checking,” stood up behind Stanley as she was seated and grabbed her right breast.

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7 F. Supp. 3d 731, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37460, 122 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 414, 2014 WL 1154272, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stanley-v-northwest-ohio-psychiatric-hospital-ohnd-2014.