BELLEVILLE – A former employee has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Sparta Community Hospital, claiming she was fired for reporting violations to OSHA.
Plaintiff Kathryn C. Shaffer filed the lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Sparta Community Hospital District, doing business as Sparta Community Hospital, citing gross negligence and wrongful termination in violation of the Illinois Whistleblower Act.
According to the lawsuit, Shaffer was employed by Sparta Community Hospital when she reported the company to OSHA on March 15, 2023, for allegedly having unsafe patient doors. The lawsuit states that a patient had previously used the unsafe doors to threaten and swing a calibration weight.
Shaffer alleges the defendant terminated her on April 27 in retaliation for her report to OSHA. She claims she was wrongfully terminated in violation of the Illinois Whistleblower Act, which grants her protections from retaliatory actions for her complaint.
The plaintiff adds that prior to her termination, the defendant and its agents began a pattern of abusive behavior towards her, which included making false accusations about her work, requiring her to work excessively long shifts without breaks, reprimanding her for no reason, harassing her at the workplace, and making it harder for her to seek other employment. She states that these actions inflicted emotional distress on her.
The plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus court costs and any other relief the court deems proper. She is represented in this case by attorney Brian M. Wendler and Angie M. Zinzilieta of Wendler & Zinzilieta, P.C. in Maryville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 2023LA711