In a striking legal battle, two employees have taken on a prominent healthcare institution, alleging a deeply troubling pattern of harassment and retaliation. The lawsuit was filed by Claudette McPherson and Jewell Van Treese in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, on October 29, 2024, against Stanford Health Care. The plaintiffs claim that they faced persistent sexual harassment and subsequent retaliation for reporting it.
Jewell Van Treese, a registered nurse with nearly 15 years at Stanford Health Care, and Claudette McPherson, who has worked there for four years as a Patient Care Manager in the Endoscopy unit, are at the center of this lawsuit. According to the complaint, Van Treese endured months of sexual harassment from her supervisor, Ron Cuico. Despite reporting the misconduct to McPherson and subsequently to Stanford's Employee & Labor Relations department (ELR), no action was taken against Cuico. Instead, McPherson alleges she faced retaliation in the form of an unjustified performance improvement plan and demotion.
The plaintiffs argue that Stanford Health's investigation into these allegations was inadequate and biased towards exonerating Cuico. They claim that despite multiple complaints from other nurses about Cuico's behavior, he faced no disciplinary action. Instead, he was effectively promoted while continuing to supervise those who had complained about him. "Rather than root out and take all reasonable steps to end Mr. Cuico’s harassment," the complaint states, "Stanford Health’s investigation appeared calculated to exonerate Mr. Cuico."
The lawsuit further accuses Stanford Health of failing to prevent harassment and retaliation as required under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). It also includes charges of defamation against the institution for allegedly portraying McPherson and Van Treese as liars following an anonymous email sent within the organization detailing their complaints.
McPherson and Van Treese seek various forms of relief from the court including general damages exceeding jurisdictional limits, special damages with prejudgment interest, exemplary and punitive damages for emotional distress caused by their treatment at Stanford Health Care. They also demand compensation for attorneys' fees incurred during this legal process.
Representing McPherson and Van Treese are attorneys Lawrence A. Organ, Marqui Hood, and Molly F. Durkin from the California Civil Rights Law Group based in San Anselmo. The case is presided over by Judge C. Roman under Case No.: 24CV450527.