A former tobacco outreach worker at Glendale (Calif.) Adventist Medical Center is suing the hospital, three hospital executives and three city council members, alleging he was wrongfully terminated from his job, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
According to the report, Steven Gallegos claimed he was fired in October after he publicly criticized the Glendale City Council for "loosening smoking restrictions for restaurants with large outdoor seating areas" in an editorial in a local newspaper, the Glendale News-Press.
Soon after his letter was published, the newspaper printed a letter from Bruce Nelson, director of community services at Glendale Adventist, in which he said Mr. Gallegos and another tobacco outreach worker lacked professionalism and "were not authorized to make" the comments, according to the Glendale News-Press.
Mr. Gallegos is seeking more than $5 million from each of the involved parties. The hospital said it does not discuss personnel issues, nor had it received the lawsuit, according to the report. The city council members named in the lawsuit denied the allegations.
According to the report, Steven Gallegos claimed he was fired in October after he publicly criticized the Glendale City Council for "loosening smoking restrictions for restaurants with large outdoor seating areas" in an editorial in a local newspaper, the Glendale News-Press.
Soon after his letter was published, the newspaper printed a letter from Bruce Nelson, director of community services at Glendale Adventist, in which he said Mr. Gallegos and another tobacco outreach worker lacked professionalism and "were not authorized to make" the comments, according to the Glendale News-Press.
Mr. Gallegos is seeking more than $5 million from each of the involved parties. The hospital said it does not discuss personnel issues, nor had it received the lawsuit, according to the report. The city council members named in the lawsuit denied the allegations.
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