The Urbana, Illinois, Human Relations Commission recently ruled that Carle Foundation Hospital violated the city of Urbana’s Human Rights Ordinance when it fired nurse manager Lynn Sprout. The commission decided that the hospital let Sprout go on the basis of her sexual orientation after she came out as lesbian while caring for her dying partner of 18 years, according to the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center.
Sprout was a pediatric nurse at Carle Foundation Hospital for 15 years (including three as nurse manager) before she was fired in 2002. She filed a complaint with the Human Relations Commission and Commissioners started to hear her case last June. The Center reported that just before the hearing began, Sprout refused a $35,000 settlement from Carle that would have prevented her from ever talking about the case.
This month, the commissioners will determine the penalty Carle must pay. Sprout has wanted three things since she was fired unfairly: her job; back pay; and a policy change involving funeral as well as Family and Medical Leave Act benefits.
Carle Foundation Hospital is expected to appeal. The Circuit Court will hear the appeal. The circuit court judge is not to try the case again but to determine whether the commissioners heard the case properly.