ONTARIO, Calif., Jan. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — McCune Law Group (MLG), a national law firm specializing in Consumer Litigation, Class Actions, and Employment Law has filed a civil suit on behalf Letishia Stillwell, a highly experienced nurse who alleges she faced discrimination, harassment, and retaliation for speaking out against public policy violations while working in the Correctional Health Division (RUHS-CHS) of Riverside-University Health Systems.
MLG will hold a press conference to discuss these allegations at the firm’s Ontario office, located at 3281 East Guasti Road, Suite 100, Ontario, CA, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. PST. Members of the Press are welcome to attend in person or virtually via livestream to ask questions.
Mrs. Stillwell has been a Riverside County nurse for 28 years. For 23 of those years, she’s thrived in management and administrative roles. In 2009, Mrs. Stillwell began work at RUHS-CHS, where she oversaw six correctional facilities medical services as a supervising nurse and core member of the executive team. Despite an excellent track record, which included being awarded “employee of the year,” Mrs. Stillwell’s employment with RUHS-CHS was terminated on January 12, 2024.
The lawsuit alleges that Mrs. Stillwell’s firing is in keeping with a broader pattern of racial and gender-based discrimination, and whistleblower retaliation, across RUHS. The complaint alleges that managers in Riverside County made concerted efforts to force African American employees out of management positions. In the complaint, Mrs. Stillwell alleges that she witnessed discriminatory tactics deployed against others in addition to facing them herself. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Mrs. Stillwell was assigned an unmanageable workload, then denied the overtime pay rate she was owed for additional labor performed remotely. On numerous occasions, the complaint alleges, her timecard was illegally altered by her administrator.
The lawsuit goes onto allege that Mrs. Stillwell was retaliated against for speaking out against unfair and illegal payment practices at RUHS-CHS. In her capacity as nurse leader and a Service Employee Internation Union (SEIU) Joint Labor Management representative, Mrs. Stillwell brought to light numerous issues on behalf of her colleagues, including concern for overworked nurses who were not given lunch and/or breaks, advocacy for equal pay, and resistance to the violation of employees’ disability rights. Mrs. Stillwell was allegedly instructed to curtail this advocacy. When she did not, she received threatening emails and was increasingly isolated from her team.
On October 5, 2023, the lawsuit alleges that these retaliatory actions culminated when Mrs. Stillwell was suddenly escorted from her Riverside office. She was issued a Notice of Intent to Terminate on November 1, 2023. On January 12, 2024, after a nearly 30-year career in Riverside County, Mrs. Stillwell’s employment was terminated.
“Mrs. Stillwell’s case is an example of how utterly insidious discrimination and retaliation against public policy can be in the workplace,” says lead attorney Joe Richardson. “RUHS-CHS has not only lost a valuable employee, but its patients have also lost an excellent nurse. Mrs. Stillwell loved her work, and we hope this case can redress her pain while carrying on her legacy of advocacy.”
MLG encourages anyone with relevant information or individuals who have experienced similar action from their employers to come forward. The firm is dedicated to defending workers’ rights, protecting whistleblowers, and fighting against gender and racial discrimination in all settings.
To learn more about the press conference, confirm attendance, or receive the livestream link, contact MLG’s Public Relations department at [email protected].
About McCune Law Group: MLG has supported consumer rights and fights for justice for more than 30 years. With offices throughout Southern California in Ontario, Redlands, Irvine, Rancho Mirage, and Lafayette in Northern California, MLG has proudly risen to prominence as one of the largest and most successful consumer advocacy law firms in the region. MLG also boasts a national presence and specializes in practice areas ranging from product liability and personal injury to employment law and financial services. MLG’s long history of success has resulted in more than $1 billion recovered for clients and an unbeatable team of inventive, innovative, and experienced attorneys. Visit mccunewright.com to learn more.
SOURCE McCune Law Group APC