Two former nurses have filed a claim for wrongful termination against Winkler County Memorial Hospital in Texas, but the former employees and their Texas employment lawyer have so far failed to reach a settlement after two rounds of mediation.
The Odessa American reports that U.S. District Judge Rob Junell won't order that the parties go through a third round of mediation, unless both sides see another mediation session as worthwhile. A pre-trial hearing has been set with this case for November 16.
Nurses Anne Mitchell and Vickilyn Galle are suing Winkler County Memorial Hospital and several county officials after they reported Dr. Rolando G. Arafiles Jr. to the Texas Medical Board. The nurses claim that they reported Dr. Rolando Arafiles to officials because they were concerned about his medical practices, but the county attorneys claim that the complaints were filed "in bad faith" and were done because of a personal feud they had with the doctor.
With a Texas employment lawyer, the nurses are seeking compensation for lost wages and damages for "emotional pain and suffering." A person who has been wrongfully terminated from a position often has rights to severance pay, unemployment compensation, and other damages, according to FindLaw.
The Texas Medical Board is expected to make public further disciplinary action against Dr. Ronaldo Arafiles at a meeting next month. The Department of State Health Services has also already fined Winkler County Memorial Hospital for a series of violations that reportedly involved Dr. Ronaldo Arafiles' hiring and medical practices.
Related Resources:
- Ten Things to Think About: Wrongful Discharge (FindLaw)
- Looking Beyond Wrongful Termination (FindLaw)
- Look For a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
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