Ex-Erlanger executive files $2.5 million age discrimination lawsuit

photo The Erlanger Baroness campus.
photo Charlesetta Woodard-Thompson
photo Blaine Morris

Erlanger Health System is now battling two discrimination lawsuits brought by former top executives.

Just before a Hamilton County judge set a trial date for ex-CEO Charlesetta Woodard-Thompson's $25 million lawsuit, another former Erlanger executive sued for $2.5 million, charging age discrimination.

Blaine Morris, 59, who worked at Erlanger for 12 years and was senior vice president of clinical services until earlier this year, claims in the lawsuit that he was fired during a time when hospital CEO Kevin Spiegel began "demoting and terminating older employees."

Erlanger spokeswoman Pat Charles said the hospital believes Morris' lawsuit is "completely without merit."

In the lawsuit, Morris alleges that 100 older Erlanger employees retired by the end of 2013 to avoid being subject to changes in retirement policy. The policy enacted last year changed the amount of accrued sick time employees could cash out at retirement, from 50 percent to 20 percent of their hourly rate. Morris alleges that Spiegel, who arrived at the hospital in April 2013, referred to this as a "forced reduction technique."

Shortly before Morris was demoted, he claims, he was told he had to fire Yonna Jones, the director of Erlanger's main campus emergency room, who was more than 50 years old and had "excellent job performance."

Morris claims that a more senior official told him that "at her age, she doesn't fit our new vision. She's old school." Jones was replaced by a younger man, Morris alleges.

Shortly thereafter, Morris claims, many of his job duties were taken from him and divided among younger employees. He was demoted to vice president and his salary cut by $70,000.

After Morris filed a charge of age discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January, he claims the hospital "retaliated" by telling him he had 45 days to improve. But Morris was fired before the 45 days were up, the suit states, and was told that it was because he had not performed his job duties several years before.

Charles said the hospital "categorically refutes" the allegations. Spiegel has previously said the cuts to the accrued sick time were necessary to bring the hospital's finances in line after it defaulted on its bond covenants.

"Mr. Morris was provided every opportunity by Erlanger's leadership to be successful in his position, but he was terminated for cause," she said.

Morris' attorneys, Harry Burnette and Frank Pinchak, are asking for $2.5 million in compensatory damages and that Morris be rehired. Neither attorney returned requests for comment Friday.

Woodard-Thompson sued the hospital and several board members last year, claiming she was abruptly terminated while on medical leave after board members named Spiegel as CEO.

Woodard-Thompson claims she was unfairly passed over for the permanent CEO position, and that board members and other hospital leaders conspired to have her undermined. She also claims she was the target of racial remarks, threats to her safety and email hacks by the hospital's then-attorney.

Erlanger has strongly denied Woodard-Thompson's claims and sought to have the suit dismissed.

But Circuit Court Judge W. Neil Thomas III has denied that request and just set a trial date for September of next year.

Contact staff writer Kate Harrison Belz at kbelz@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.

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