BayCare officials initially declined to comment on details of the case, citing a policy of not discussing current litigation.
But in a subsequent statement Wednesday, the health system said it disagreed with David’s allegations and called the lawsuit “a retaliation case brought by one former team member.”
The statement added: “We take this very seriously and the team member’s concerns were reviewed by multiple levels of leadership. We will respond with details in the proper legal forum.”
BayCare operates 15 hospitals in the Tampa Bay area.
Scott Terry, an attorney representing David said she was treated unfairly during her time at St. Joseph’s.
“Mrs. David made serious allegations while she worked there, and you would think that BayCare would welcome those kinds of discussions,” Terry said. “But that was not the case.”
Her lawsuit, filed Aug. 21, claims that her meeting with BayCare managers “turned tense” and they became defensive. A complaint details several other meetings between David and BayCare managers, where they told her she would not be promoted and claimed they “took away all of the shifts” where David would work as a charge nurse, overseeing others.