A former receptionist at the Pain Relief Center in Bay City, Texas claims that she was wrongfully terminated from her position after she refused aggressive advances from physician Dr. Ajay Aggarwal. Outpatient Surgery Magazine reports that the former receptionist, Norma De La Rosa, filed a lawsuit against her employer last year in the U.S. District Court for Southern Texas.
Her Houston employment lawyer, Adrian V. Villacorta, says that Ms. De La Rosa suffered quid pro quo sexual harassment and retaliation, resulting in severe emotional distress, medical expenses, and lost earning capacity. She is seeking compensation for lost wages, suffering, legal costs and punitive damages.
The sexual harassment started at a work-related Christmas Party in December 2008. Ms. De La Rosa alleges that at the party, Dr. Aggarwal patted her rear end and aggressively asked her to dance. After politely refusing, Ms. De La Rosa claims that he forcefully grabbed her and injured her arm. She told office managers that she was fearful of returning to work while Dr. Aggarwal was present and said that she would come back to work after Dr. Aggarwal left for his scheduled trip to India the following week.
Yet when Ms. De La Rosa returned to the office, she was terminated from her position because supervisors said that she failed to show up to work for a week. Pain Relief Center denies the sexual harassment allegations and has asked the court to dismiss the claims. The employer is also demanding reimbursement from Ms. De La Rosa for legal costs. The trial is set for sometime in December 2010.
Related Resources:
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How to Spot Sexual Harassment: 6 Facts (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life blog)
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Sexual Harassment: Examples and Types (FindLaw)
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Houston Employment Lawyer Directory (FindLaw)
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