A woman who sued Barlow Respiratory Hospital alleging her boss sexually harassed her for more than a year reached a settlement with the Elysian Park facility Wednesday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy conducted a mandatory settlement conference and the case brought by a plaintiff identified only as Jane Doe 2 was resolved, but no terms were divulged. Doe 2 alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent hiring and assault and battery.
In her suit filed in October 2018, Doe 2 alleged her manager/supervisor, Douglas Vela, used his authority to sexually harass numerous female employees, including the plaintiff.
“Barlow brushed off plaintiff’s sexual harassment complaint even though Vela admitted almost all of the sexual conduct,” the suit alleged.
Barlow Hospital is located near Dodger Stadium and Doe was hired there in July 2015, her court papers stated. During the 18 months that she and Vela worked the same shifts or came into contact on opposite shifts, Vela consistently sexually harassed, assaulted and demanded sexual favors from the plaintiff in exchange for job benefits, Doe 2’s court papers alleged.
According to the court papers of the lawyers for the hospital, Vela admitted to some inappropriate behavior with Doe 2, but claimed that all of his interactions with her were consensual.
Vela was fired in July 2017 after 13 years at the hospital when its management learned he had lied when he asserted that he had not been involved with any other employees and that the hospital need not worry about any other co-workers coming forward with similar allegations against him, according to the hospital attorneys’ court papers.