Maine hospital employee sues, claiming retaliation after objecting to strip club visits
PORTLAND, Maine — An employee of Maine Medical Center in Portland has sued the hospital, claiming management retaliated against him after he raised concerns about a tradition of taking male residents and fellows to a strip club for lap dances during an out-of-state conference.
Patrick O'Brien is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress and damage to his reputation in the suit filed in Cumberland County Superior Court.
He says in the suit that after he expressed his discomfort in November 2009 while administrative director of the Department of Family Medicine, his department head became hostile and was no longer treated fairly.
The Portland Press Herald (bit.ly ) reports that O'Brien feared the outings violated the ethics of the hospital and federal and state laws
The hospital in a statement denied the allegations.
I can't figure out what he thinks was unethical. Also interesting that the department head he accuses of harassing him is female, as is the woman who investigated his complaint and found it baseless.