Huntington Memorial Hospital (now known as Huntington Health) in Pasadena, Calif., has settled allegations that it brought up the education of and then wrongfully fired a registered nurse who complained about discrimination and retaliation, according to a City News Service report published Aug. 8 in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
The settlement came about two years after Robert Young initially filed the complaint in June 2020. Terms of the settlement were not revealed in court papers filed July 14 with the Los Angeles Superior Court, according to the City News Service report. Dorey Huston, a spokesperson for Huntington Health, told Becker's on Aug. 9 that the hospital had no comment on the settlement.
Mr. Young's lawsuit focuses on a bachelor's degree requirement. He alleges the hospital raised the requirement before he was wrongfully fired for complaining about the hospital failing to accommodate him for his medical condition, according to the City News Service report. He sought treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes, the report said. He also alleged the hospital brought up his education as a "pretext for discrimination" because the employer knew he did not have a bachelor's degree in nursing before hiring him.
But hospital lawyers said in their court papers that the bachelor's degree requirement "was a written condition of his employment with Huntington Memorial Hospital" and that Mr. Young "was terminated from his employment for failing to meet the conditions of his employment" after several years of working at the hospital, according to the City News Service report.
To read the full report, click here.