LYNCHBURG, Va. – The former CEO of Centra Hospital in Lynchburg is facing sexual harassment allegations.
According to a complaint filed by Stephanie Hale, a former nurse, claims E.W. Tibbs allegedly stalked and sexually assaulted her in March of 2017 at a Lynchburg hotel.
Tibbs left the hospital last year and currently works in Michigan.
The woman is seeking $10 million in the lawsuit.
Centra released a statement to 10 News saying,
“As soon as we were made aware of the allegations involving personal conduct by our former CEO, we began an internal review to determine whether they have any merit. We are working with an independent third party to conduct a formal investigation of the alleged claims. We are not able to comment directly on the lawsuit at this time, except to say that these are very serious allegations that require an appropriate level of due diligence. Centra operates under a strict code of conduct and we expect all members of our team to exemplify those high standards.”
Hale's attorney gave 10 News a statement saying,
"On Monday, March 11, 2019, James River Legal Associates filed suit in the Lynchburg Circuit Court seeking $10 million dollars in damages and other relief on behalf of Stephanie Ann Hale, a former Centra nurse who alleges that she was stalked and sexually assaulted by then Centra CEO E. W. Tibbs in March of 2017 at the Extended Stay hotel in Lynchburg. A portion of the incident was recorded on video.
Ms. Hale alleges that Tibbs solicited sex from her and at least one other victim using the pseudonym “Ethan Toms” and the email address “fun.2.bhad@hotmail.com while he served as Centra’s CEO. Ms. Hale is extremely disappointed in the Centra’s response to her allegations.
According to Paul Valois, senior attorney at James River Legal Associates, “Centra was provided proof of these allegations in February and should have contacted all of its employees immediately in order to identify other victims. As anyone knows, these are the kinds of cases in which victims are reluctant to come forward. Instead, according to its press release, Centra did not even notify its employees of these allegations until the day after the suit was filed. It seems clear from this delay that Centra is more worried about publicity or its bottom line than it is about the welfare of its own employees.
James River Legal Associates has established the website “centraintelligence.com” to serve as a portal for information about misconduct at Centra facilities. Visitors can use the website to report misconduct. Anyone, whether or not they were Centra employees, who was solicited for sex by “Ethan Toms” or received messages from the email address “fun.2.bhad@hotmail.com” should contact James River Legal Associates IMMEDIATELY. This information is vital to determine the extent of the misconduct within Centra and to hold abusers accountable.
Employees who have been sexually harassed or discriminated against have rights and they may be entitled to compensation, but there are strict reporting requirements and deadlines, so they need to act quickly. These employees should seek legal advice NOW from a qualified firm."
We've attached the filed complaint.