Tri-City Healthcare Dist. v. Young (Summary)

DISRUPTIVE PHYSICIAN

Tri-City Healthcare Dist. v. Young, Nos. D059573, et al. (Cal. Ct. App. Mar. 29, 2013)

The California Court of Appeal affirmed a lower court’s issuance of protective orders for four employees – including the CEO and in-house counsel – against a physician. The four employees had been harassed and threatened by the physician for over a year.  The physician would call the employees names and threaten the employees (and other employees in the hospital) with violence.

The court held that there was sufficient evidence to allow for the issuance of three-year restraining orders for all four individuals. The court determined that it was reasonable for the employees to fear for their safety based on the credible threats of violence that the physician had made against them.  The court directed that the physician could continue to participate in Board meetings, but only via conference call and e-mail.  He could no longer personally attend the meetings.