Smith Patten Represents UCSF Nurse As She Comes Forward to Expose Sexual Harassment, Religious Discrimination, and Systematic Retaliation
Shazia Malik is suing UCSF, claiming that sexual harassment and religious discrimination were just the beginning of her problems while working there as a nurse.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A Senior Licensed Vocational Nurse at the Mt. Zion Campus of the UCSF Women's Health Center has filed a lawsuit against the University of California, San Francisco UC President, Janet Napolitano, UCSF CEO, Mark Laret, UCSF's OPHD Director, Dr. Renee Navarro, UCSF's Chief Campus Counsel, Greta Schnetzler, Amy Rosenhaus, Auda Okutani, Eva Marie-Turner, Aurora Slusher, and Elizabeth Bauer, with claims that she faced sexual harassment, religious discrimination, and retaliation while on the job.
Shazia Malik says that the problems began back in 2014 right after she was hired and that the Administrative Director, Amy Rosenhaus, began to sexually harass her, discriminate against her because she wore a hijab during Ramadan and asked if she knew anyone in ISIS. Malik filed a complaint with University of California, San Francisco in 2016.
Led by Dr. Navarro, UCSF's OPHD in the last few years has come under scrutiny for failure to address sexual harassment, religious discrimination and retaliation cases properly and timely. An investigation by Office of Civil Rights into UCSF's OPHD in 2015 found serious violations and resulted in a Resolution Agreement signed by Navarro in 2016.
UCSF went on to fire their Title IX Director, Cristina Perez-Abelson, earlier this year citing "serious misconduct." As part of her job, Perez-Abelson was tasked with investigating claims of sexual harassment, including Ms. Malik's case.
However, Malik contends that this did not put an end to the problems. She alleges that the investigation into her claims was still delayed repeatedly even after Perez-Abelson's termination and the Resolution Agreement with Office of Civil Rights by Navarro. Even worse, Malik started to face systematic retaliation perpetrated by the highest level of the organization, starting with Office of the President, CEO, OPHD, Legal Affairs, Human Resources, Office of the Ombuds, and her superiors at the Women's Health.
"Enduring the sexual harassment and religious discrimination was terrible enough, but the retaliation I faced for coming forward was even more devastating. I am a hard working single mother and UCSF threatened my livelihood. All I wanted to do was the best possible job for my patients, not face harassment, discrimination, and retaliation from the very people who were supposed to protect me. I thought that bringing harassment and discrimination to the attention of the President of the University of California would make things better in the workplace. Instead, it only made things worse," said Malik.
Attorney Dow W. Patten stated, "My client followed UCSF's internal procedures; rather than correct the problems, they have hijacked the internal complaint resolution process to investigate the victim, write her up for things that didn't happen, and make her work life miserable, hoping she will just give up."
Despite all of this, Malik says that the things that matters to her most is ensuring this does not happen to other women. "I want to send a message for all employees in the UC system that this kind of retaliation must stop, and that UC must take steps to stop the culture of retaliation that keeps people like me from coming forward. I want to encourage other Muslim women who have faced religious discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace to come forward." added Malik.
Contact:
Smith Patten
888 S. Figueroa St. Suite 2030
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 488-1300; Fax: (415) 520-0104
E-mail: [email protected]
SOURCE Smith Patten
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