A Rock Springs hospital has denied wrongdoing in a gay, black doctor’s lawsuit accusing the hospital of discriminating against and firing him wrongfully.
Dr. Lex Auguiste, an obstetrician-gynecologist, sued Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County in June along with nurse Megan Jacobsen, now known as Megan Guess, for allegedly creating a hostile work environment and firing him.
Auguiste is asking for a jury trial to win monetary damages under the federal Civil Rights Act.
The hospital and Guess in a recent court filing responded, saying much of Auguiste’s lawsuit complaint contains legal conclusions rather than facts, and that the hospital and Guess did not behave unlawfully.
While Auguiste’s complaint claims criticism from hospital nurses and second-guessing progressed to nurses making “unfounded or petty complaints” against him while he worked for the hospital between 2020 and 2022, the hospital denies this allegation.
“(We) deny such complaints were unfounded or petty,” reads the hospital’s response, which acknowledges that hospital authorities reprimanded Auguiste.
The reprimands Auguiste received, the hospital claims, went beyond “administrative aspects of his performance.”
Auguiste’s three-year contract contained a provision letting the hospital dismiss him “without cause” as long as it gave him 90 days’ notice.
“Defendants deny their actions toward Dr. Auguiste were anything other than legal and appropriate and deny that (he) has any legally valid damages,” reads the response.
The case is ongoing.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
