A manager allegedly admitted having "nothing to get them on but wants them out"
Two nurses say they were suspended and then fired after reporting patient safety violations and sexual harassment at a Massachusetts nursing home.
Ann Syrko and Kellie Neal worked as Licensed Practical Nurses at Fairview Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. In a lawsuit filed January 8, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, they claim their employers, Willowood of Great Barrington, Inc. and Integritus Healthcare, Inc., retaliated against them for speaking up.
The story they tell in court filings paints a troubling picture for anyone in human resources: employees who flagged serious concerns, only to find themselves on the receiving end of disciplinary action.
According to the lawsuit, the problems started in or about 2021. Staff members allegedly filmed a resident with dementia, trying to provoke distressing behavior. Neal saw colleagues show the video to the resident herself and reported it up the chain. The response, she claims, was not what anyone would expect from a compliant workplace. Administrator Rean Hernandez allegedly told staff to "forget the issue ever happened" and warned them, "this never happened, keep your mouth shut."
That was just the beginning. The nurses say they reported a staff member who photographed a resident during a medical emergency instead of helping, a patient fall that went unreported for hours, and a resident who repeatedly asked to go to the hospital but was ignored until she became septic.
Then came the sexual harassment reports. In late December 2023, Syrko allegedly contacted corporate quality control to flag that the facility had mishandled multiple complaints. She provided information about inappropriate conduct by three staff members, including unwelcome touching and the sending of pornographic videos to male employees.
What happened next, according to the lawsuit, should give HR professionals pause. Director of Nursing Molly Tanner allegedly began soliciting staff to write statements against the nurses. One employee, CNA Vernetta Bigelow, reportedly told Syrko that Tanner admitted she "had nothing to get them on but wants them out of the building."
On or about January 8, 2024, both nurses were called into meetings with Tanner, Facility Administrator Scott Meppen, and Human Resource Manager Amy Perras. Each was told fifteen statements had been filed against her. Neither was allowed to see them. The reason given: staff feared retaliation.
Two days later, Syrko and Neal filed charges with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The facility was notified on or about January 12, 2024. On or about February 26, 2024, both nurses were terminated.
The lawsuit brings ten counts, including claims under Massachusetts whistleblower protections for healthcare workers, state anti-discrimination law, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The nurses are seeking lost wages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees.
No determination on the merits has been made, and the case remains pending.
