ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — A former Adena Health System employee has filed a lawsuit against Adena Health System alleging sexual harassment and workplace negligence. The lawsuit also names Dr. Gustavo Barrazueta as a defendant in this case.
The female employee said she worked as a medical device sales representative and claims to have endured a hostile work environment. She alleges unwelcome sexual advances from Dr. Barrazueta, who was a physician employed by Adena Health System. Their professional interaction began as part of her job, selling medical devices for orthopedic surgeries.
The lawsuit details a series of troubling incidents that allegedly began with explicit text messages from Dr. Barrazueta. Over several months, despite her efforts to redirect conversations to work-related topics, the harassment persisted. Matters escalated when she refused Dr. Barrazueta’s advances, and he threatened to take his business elsewhere, the suit reads. One time he asked to “lick” her anus.
On April 4, 2022, Dr. Barrazueta explicitly requested sexual favors through text messages. The woman did not comply with the request, and in response, Dr. Barrazueta moved his medical equipment purchases to a competing vendor, causing substantial income loss for the woman.
Distressed by her ordeal, the woman reported the misconduct to Adena Health System in February 2023, providing compelling evidence of the harassment through text message screenshots. Surprisingly, despite this evidence, Dr. Barrazueta remained employed at the organization until August 8, 2023. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Adena Health System ignored a culture of similar conduct by Dr. Barrazueta and other medical providers within the organization, the suit claims.
The lawsuit includes several legal claims, such as sexual harassment in the workplace, tortious interference with a business relationship, and claims of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
As of now, Adena Health System has not issued an official statement regarding the lawsuit.