Man sues UNT Health Science Center for sex discrimination c5n1z

In a June 9 filing, the UNT Health Science Center denied all allegations and requested that the court reject all of Sims’ demands.

Attorneys for Sims declined to comment. A spokesperson for the UNT Health Science Center also declined, saying it does not comment on pending litigation. 

Sex discrimination lawsuits are filed by men less often than women, although men are more likely to face bias or discrimination in female-dominated fields such as nursing compared to other fields, experts say.

Discrimination claims by those in majority groups are garnering more attention as Republicans and the Trump istration push back against efforts they see as discriminatory toward men, white people and heterosexual people.

Sims was the director of SaferCare Texas, a department of the UNT Health Science Center which aims to improve patient safety and prevent medical errors through efforts such as education and advocacy. Sims held that role from March 2020 until he was fired.

According to a court filing from the plaintiff, the incident that ultimately led to Sims’ firing was a May 4, 2022, lunch with two female colleagues. Sims alleges that he suggested at this lunch ways that his department and its staff “could better serve the community.” The colleagues disagreed, the filing says, adding that “Sims became frustrated that they did not want to serve the community they ed.”

Sims alleges that on the way back from the lunch, one of the colleagues expressed “that she was terrified of him because she felt she could not disagree with him.”

Eight days later, Sims was notified that the Health Science Center’s chief integrity officer was conducting a compliance investigation.

Sims was told June 23 that “all the allegations were ‘unofficially unsubstantiated’” and that he would receive a letter telling of the investigation’s findings in about a week’s time, according to the filing.

On July 25, Sims told the chief integrity officer that two of his female colleagues were reg and asked at the same time about the letter telling of the compliance investigation’s findings. After a tense exchange in which the chief integrity officer asked how the two were connected, to which Sims said he did know that they were, he received the letter.

The letter said Sims had violated an ethics policy, according to the filing.

On Aug. 12, Sims was directed to attend a meeting with his direct supervisor and a human resources professional, the filing says. He was given and told to read an Office of Institutional Integrity and Awareness report. The report also listed the ethics policy and “showed a sustained violation.” 

The report recommended Sims be put on “one-week nonpaid istrative leave” and that he attend trainings indicated in the report. The SaferCare department was recommended to undergo “employee team building and assessments” and for Sims’ supervisor “to attend regular department meetings,” the filing says.

Sims asked if he could respond to the report and was told he could not, he alleges. He was then fired by his supervisor.

According to the filing, “at no time was Sims given the opportunity for re-training or given any warning or opportunity to show improvement against alleged bad behaviors.” The filing does not say what those alleged behaviors were. 

Sims alleges he asked at the time why he was fired but was not given a reason.

The filing also says a woman was placed in Sims’ position after he was fired. A woman served in his former role on an interim basis after his firing, website captures from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine show, but a man ultimately was placed in the role permanently in 2024.

McKinnon Rice is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. her at [email protected]. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board and financial ers. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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