A former administrator at a Kansas surgery center is suing her employer and doctors at the facility, alleging they discriminated and retaliated against her after she investigated sexual harassment claims other employees made.

Grace Furr, RN, who worked for Nueterra Healthcare Management as an administrator at the Ridgewood Surgery and Endoscopy Center in Wichita, Kan., says that a year before she left her job, she investigated sexual harassment complaints by Neuterra employees concerning plastic surgeon Joseph T. Poggi III, MD, and general surgeon Jerry Gaston, DO. She says after the investigation — the findings of which are not disclosed in court records — she was forced to quit by doctors at the facility.

Ms. Furr says in court records that after the investigation was complete, she spoke to her supervisor at Neuterra about Dr. Poggi, and said she felt that he, along with other doctors at Ridgewood, "treated her poorly because she is a woman and retaliated against her for her actions with regard to the sexual harassment complaints."

Ms. Furr's supervisor later e-mailed her to say that he could not guarantee that the retaliation by the Ridgewood doctors would stop, and encouraged her to look for another job, according to court records.

At the next Ridgewood board meeting, Ms. Furr says that the board changed her duties, asking her to work weekends, and made changes that would require her to work directly with Dr. Poggi, court records state. In January 2013, Ms. Furr says she "felt required to quit her job at Neuterra." Ms. Furr is now suing Ridgewood, including Drs. Poggi, and Nueterra for discrimination and retaliation. Dr. Gaston, a physician that works at Ridgewood, filed to be an intervenor in the lawsuit, which means he is a not named in the suit by Ms. Furr but is allowed by the court to join as a third party in the litigation.

Most recently in court, Ms. Furr requested to subpoena documents that related to any allegations of sexually inappropriate conduct by Drs. Poggi and Gaston from 5 other surgical facilities and hospitals where they perform surgeries. However, a judge quashed the request, saying that any files of that nature weren't relevant to her case. The lawsuit is ongoing.

Gaye Tibbets, attorney for Ridgewood, declined to comment due to the ongoing litigation. Sean McGivern, attorney for Ms. Furr, also declined to comment. Attorneys for Neuterra did not return requests for comment.

Kendal Gapinski