Local hospital district accused of discrimination, retaliation

A hearing-impaired woman is suing over claims a local hospital district fired her for reporting discriminatory behavior.

Betty Martinez filed a lawsuit on Thursday, June 14 in the Harris County District Court against the Harrison County Hospital District, headquartered in Southwest Houston, citing discrimination and unlawful termination.

Martinez, who is hearing impaired, says the defendant fired her after she reported the inappropriate behavior she endured while working as a licensed vocational nurse at Acres Home Health Center. According to the brief, staff at the health center, including a physician, continually mocked her and made fun of her because of her hearing impairment.

The suit alleges that after Martinez complained about the mistreatment to human resources, a physician and another staff member embarked on a campaign to force Martinez to quit, which culminated in her unlawful firing.

Martinez is seeking attorney's fees, damages and court costs. She is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Delana Cline.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2012-34696.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.