A former kitchen worker at a California nursing facility has filed a lawsuit against her former employer claiming that Manor Care and its owners and operators failed to look into her complaints of race discrimination and sexual harassment, and even went as far as to encourage the degrading work environment. The woman also claims that other female workers were also forced to work in the hostile and offensive work environment.

According to the lawsuit, the former kitchen worker was employed by Manor Care in California from 1999 to 2010. During that time she was frequently harassed because she is Asian, and the kitchen manager supposedly allowed other male staff to sexually demean the female employees.

In addition she claims that at some points she was physically assaulted by other co-workers kicking food carts into her, and that some co-workers even went as far as to throw food at her. Other co-workers also supposedly degraded the woman with racial and ethnic slurs.

The lawsuit claims that the former employee did not speak up sooner about the discrimination and harassment because she was afraid of retaliation, but when her daughter did send an email to Manor Care complaining about the way her mother was being treated at work, the nursing facility retaliated by having the former employee work an extra two hours per week.

The lawsuit goes on to say that in August of 2010, the former employee ended up suffering from a panic attack while at work, but that Manor Care failed to provide any medical attention to her. A week later the women ended up resigning from the job she had for 11 years because of the working conditions she had been subjected to and the fact that the facility supposedly did nothing to deter the discrimination and harassment from happening.

The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount in punitive and economic damages, and claims that due to the harassment the woman suffered from anxiety, panic attacks, muscle spasms, digestive problems and depression.

Source: Reuters, “Former nursing home worker claims race, gender harassment,” Linda Coady, 9 may 2011