Lawsuit: Yolo Hospice Nurses Fired After Suggesting Staff Violated Federal Regulations

DAVIS (CBS13) — Claims of sexual harassment, discrimination and wrongful termination are among the accusations laid out in a civil lawsuit filed against Yolo Hospice.

Jody Norton and Piper Berge say they were fired after speaking up against a boss for suggesting staff violated federal regulations and ignored hospice policies.

At a place that provides around-the-clock compassionate care for the terminally ill, a new 29-page lawsuit claims Yolo Hospice fosters a hostile work environment with its staff.

"It's been my most profound experience of grief that I can ever imagine. I mean I was literally incapacitated," said former nurse Jody Norton.

She spent nearly 20 years working for the hospice and claims she was wrongfully terminated for questioning the practices of newly hired executive director Craig Dresang.

"He said 'This isn't good news. I'm letting you go. I just don't feel like I can work with you,'" she said.

Norton says Dresang wanted nurses to "perform a late admission of a patient" without a doctor's order and "patrol local hospitals to actively solicit referrals." Both of those are against federal policy.

"It's sad. It's overwhelming. And it's disgusting," said former hospice employee Piper Berge.

She believe she was subjected to "harassing and discriminatory treatment" from Dresang because she's a gay woman and says she was never told why she was fired.

"I kindly asked out of respect for Jody Norton, for the Board of Directors to review the termination process. I was fired four days later via email," she said.

Yolo Hospice responded to CBS13's requests for comment by saying, "Because of well-established privacy rights we cannot and will not publicly respond to confidential personnel issues."

The lawsuit also claims defamation, saying Yolo Hospice spread information that the two women were in a sexual relationship and engaged in sexual activity on the property. It's information both women say is false.

Attorney Mary-Alice Coleman represents both women.

"Their civil rights were violated," she said. "They were attempting in good faith to keep the organization on the correct track and they were retaliated against."

While both women are in the process of getting new jobs, they say their hope is that the integrity of patient care remains intact.

Coleman says three other hospice employees have quit since her clients were fired.