Charlesetta Woodard-ThompsonA Hamilton County judge has approved a protective order that will allow Erlanger Health System’s attorneys to mark documents as confidential to the public in a $25 million lawsuit brought against the hospital by a former CEO.
Charlsetta Woodard-Thompson filed the discrimination lawsuit against Erlanger in 2013, after she was abruptly terminated while on medical leave after board members named Kevin Spiegel as CEO. The case is set to go to trial in September before Circuit Court Judge W. Neil Thomas III.
Woodard-Thompson’s attorney, Jennifer Lawrence, argued against the order on Monday, saying that as a public hospital Erlanger has no legal right to make requested documents like phone records and emails confidential.
“They don’t want … the press to get ahold of any of it,” Lawrence argued.
Erlanger’s attorney, Randy Wilson with Miller & Martin law firm, said that out of the thousands of documents Lawrence has requested, some could be considered privileged because of HIPAA and health care compliance regulations.