Sasha Overton, a former registered nurse, has filed a lawsuit against her previous employer, alleging severe workplace misconduct and retaliation. The complaint was lodged by Overton in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco on December 6, 2024, targeting Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. as defendants. Overton claims that during her tenure at these institutions, she faced retaliation for reporting unsafe working conditions.
The narrative begins with Sasha Overton's employment history at Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and The Permanente Medical Group, Inc., where she worked from April 2016 until March 2022 in San Francisco before transferring to San Rafael. Throughout her employment, Overton reported numerous unsafe practices through Assignment Despite Objection (ADO) forms. She alleges that these reports were met with hostility and retaliatory actions by her employers. "Defendants overworked their nursing staff such that Ms. Overton could not perform all her regular tasks within her scheduled shift without skipping breaks," states the complaint.
Overton's grievances began in earnest in 2018 when she submitted ADOs documenting unsafe staffing levels leading to missed meal and rest breaks. Her attempts to highlight these issues were reportedly met with discouragement from peers and management alike. Other nurses warned her that filing complaints would lead to unfavorable treatment by management—a prediction that seemingly came true as Overton experienced reduced shifts and mid-shift reassignments.
The complaint further details how management allegedly mocked Overton for her submissions; one manager even mistakenly sent a derogatory text message intended for another employee but referring to Overton as a "lazy bitch." This environment of mockery persisted despite Overton’s transfer to another hospital location in San Rafael in 2021, where similar retaliatory conduct continued until February 2023 when she suffered an injury on the job.
Overton accuses the defendants of intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and retaliation under California Labor Code § 6310. She asserts that the defendants' actions were extreme and outrageous enough to cause severe emotional distress. "Defendants’ conduct was outrageous and extreme and exceeds all bounds of decency," reads part of the claim.
In seeking justice, Sasha Overton is asking for compensatory damages exceeding $75,000 along with punitive damages aimed at deterring similar future conduct by the defendants or others in similar positions. She also seeks an injunction against ongoing misconduct by the hospital entities involved.
Representing Sasha Overton are attorneys Robert S. Arns, Jonathan E. Davis, Shounak S. Dharap, and Katherine A. Rabago from Arns Davis Law based in San Francisco. The case is being heard under Case No. CGC-24-620410 with Judge Sahar Enayati presiding over proceedings.