CHARLESTON, W.Va.— A nurse has filed suit against West Virginia Media Holdings President Bray Cary claiming he became hostile and belligerent during a routine examination.
Melinda Heiss says in the suit filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court this week that the incident happened in 2012 when she visited one of Cary’s TV stations, WOWK in Charleston, to perform medical screening necessary for a life insurance policy.
Heiss claims the trouble started after she drew a vial of blood and asked Cary a series of questions. “Carey became hostile and refused to answer any further questions, explaining that ‘… he had already provided the information’ to the insurance agent.”
In the complaint, Heiss says she decided to discontinue the examination and leave, but “At this point, Defendant Cary stood in front of the closed office door and told Your Plaintiff that she was ‘… not going anywhere’ until she gave him back the vial of blood, and refused to allow her to leave the office.”
Heiss says she then called her company, Portamedic, but while on the phone “Cary grabbed the phone from her hand, pulling hair out of her head.” She left the building, putting her medical bags in her car, but returned for her cell phone.
“At this point, Defendant Cary came running toward her and shoved another phone in her face, telling her to talk to his insurance agent,” according to the complaint. “When she began telling the agent what had happened, Defendant Cary again grabbed the phone from her hand pulling hair from her head and screamed into the phone ‘… there was no lock on that door.’”
Heiss says the insurance agent pleaded with her to finish the exam or, at the very least, get a urine sample. She agreed, but according to the complaint, “Rather than retreating to the men’s restroom, Defendant Cary went inside an office, urinated in the cup, and returned with his trousers visibly unzipped and was very rude and insulting” when he gave the sample to Heiss.
Heiss claims the incident was so upsetting that she suffered severe emotional distress, had to quit her job, and is now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Heiss, who is represented by Ed ReBrook and Mike Clifford, is asking that a jury award her damages.
Cary, along with serving as President and CEO of West Virginia Media Holdings, is also the on-air host of the public affairs program “Decision Makers.”
Cary did not respond to an email and a text asking for comment, and his attorney, Ben Bailey, did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.