Letishia Stillwell, fired in January from Riverside University Health Systems Correctional Health Division, has sued the county-owned hospital on allegations of gender-based and racial discrimination.
RUHS Senior Public Information Specialist Alex Groves declined to comment on the filing, and a legal response from the hospital or the county has not yet been filed.
The Dec. 23 complaint in Riverside Superior Court claims 11 causes of action, including defamation, wrongful retaliation, and violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. She claims that Riverside County policies created a custom and practice of discrimination, harassment and retaliation against African-Americans and women.
Stillwell’s employment
Stillwell joined the hospital in January 1996, and began working in management in 2001, the complaint says. She has a master’s degree in nursing.
In 2009, she joined the Correctional Health Division, which includes three jails and three juvenile facilities.
She joined as a supervising institutional nurse, overseeing education and radiology. She also was on the SEIU-Joint Labor Management Team.
On Nov. 1, 2023, her supervisors issued a notice of intent to terminate. She was fired on Jan. 12, 2024.
Allegations
Her lawsuit claims that university leadership appointed less-qualified white men to leadership positions, and forced African-American employees to resign.
Andrew Pascoe, Chief Nursing Officer of RUHS-CHS, forced an African American female nurse to resign by reassigning her to a position in which she had to push heavy medication carts and stand for long periods of time, in violation of her work restrictions, the complaint said. The nurse resigned.
The complaint also said Pascoe wrote an email in which he said he could gather information to get rid of an African-American supervisor. The email was accidentally sent to an African-American supervisor. The full text of the email was not included in the complaint.
In 2020, management reduced the nursing staff assigned to the Probation Department by 60%, and reduced their leadership by 80%, the complaint said.
Stillwell alleges management purposely cut staff and directed her to oversee the Probation Department alone in an effort to force her out of the job.
She claims that management altered her timesheet to avoid paying overtime wages.
“(Administrator Terry) Fillman willfully and deliberately violated labor laws and the Riverside County MOU by requiring African American Supervisors to work remotely for countless hours after they completed their regular work shift without receiving. When the African American employees including (Stillwell) ask for equal pay for equal work, Fillman would verbally threaten their job security and deny compensation,” the complaint says.
Messages
After Stillwell advocated for the application of labor laws, she would receive anonymous emails that said, “Get Out Now,” “take your money and run before you lose your retirement,” “You’re being investigated,” and “Sheriff is going to get rid of you,” her complaint says.
Another supervisor, Shena Patel, told Stillwell that “with six grandkids you should be at home taking care of them,” Stillwell said.
She claims further harassment through stated revocation of her capability to work remotely, rejection from executive staff meetings, and a lack of clear communication of critical information.
On Oct. 5, 2023, a week after she received a law firm mailer about a class action suit, Stillwell was escorted out of her office and placed on administrative leave.
Case information
Joe Richardson of McCune Law Group represents Stillwell.
The hospital’s representation has not been announced.
Case No. CVRI2405981
Read the complaint here.
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