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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Taking It Off Doesn’t Come With the Job

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (CN) - Four nurses say in four federal lawsuits that bosses at their Tennessee hospital abused them by making them strip naked to take illegal "drug screens" at work.

All four women say they worked at Hickman Community Hospital. They sued Hickman, Ascension Health, Saint Thomas Health and their affiliates, in Federal Court.

All four nurses say they were taken to "the Quiet Room," where a boss "spoke to the four nurses about discrepancies in medications and advised that everyone that ha worked in the last twenty-four (24) hours had to be drug tested due to those discrepancies."

Plaintiff Carol Kelso says she had to strip naked and stand that way in front of two bosses, who searched her clothes and made her pee in a cup.

Plaintiff S. Kimberly McCaleb says she told her bosses "You must be joking" when they told her to strip naked, removing "even her bra and panties." They told her "No," but, unlike Kelso, they let her keep her socks on.

The other two nurses tell similar stories.

They seeks damages for discrimination, unlawful disclosure, failure to maintain confidential, violation of medical privacy, negligence, negligent hiring, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, violations of state law, sexual harassment, hostile workplace, violations of Tennessee human rights law, and invasion of privacy.

They are represented by J. Miranda Belote with the Vance Law Office of Watertown, Tenn.

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