Man adds to discrimination suit

By Joe Pinchot
Herald Staff Writer

HERMITAGE May 11, 2008 09:01 pm

— A Hermitage man who filed an age discrimination suit against Primary Health Network has amended the suit to add the Primary Health Charitable Foundation, and two new counts.
John Geisel, 61, of 127 Baker Ave., has accused the Sharon-based medical provider of passing him over for promotions, demoting him, retaliating against him for bringing legal action, trying to provoke him into committing an offense for which he could be fired, and assigning him tasks that could not be completed within a set period of time.
Primary Health has denied that it showed age bias or retaliated against him, and contradicted the chain of events Geisel has presented in his federal suit. It said Geisel has been “obstinate and belligerent,” and that Geisel received every pay hike he was entitled to.
In the amended suit, Geisel said he was again denied the position he covets, that of facilities administrator, on Jan. 17, the position filled by a “substantially younger much less qualified person.”
Geisel said he was transferred to facilities director of the foundation — at a salary of $49,000 — that same day.
In papers filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission he called the transfer a “scheme” and a “bogus intentional attempt to deflect attention from the discrimination I was subjected to in 2006 and 2007 and my pending civil suit.”
Primary Health will have the opportunity to answer the new charges.
Geisel is seeking lost wages and benefits, compensatory damages for humiliation, emotional distress, personal injury and harm and physical injury, punitive damages and the costs associated with filing the suit.