By Toni Milbourne, The Journal
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Nurses in the Berkeley County school system have banded together and filed a lawsuit against the Berkeley County Board of Education over alleged pay issues.
There are 31 plaintiffs in the suit, including Jennifer Baker, Melissa Bates, Lisa Michele Pumphrey Billings, Lynne Blackshear, Jamey Breeden, Tina Cameron, Colleen Coleman, Heidi Crawford, Penny Creel, Ericka Diffenderfer, Susan Dilly, Erin Dye, Hannah Eyler, Amanda Fultz, Matthew Gainey, Tiffany Hite, Elizabeth Hutzler, Janes Ishman, Lisa McFadden, Aljenny Molina, Dawn Myers, Stacy Petersheim, Kimberly Polinik, Dara Randolph, Melissa Renner, Nicole Schultz, Sandra Spitalsky, Angela Stanley, Deborah Stine, Katie Stringer and Carol Woodruff.
The complaint alleges violations of the West Virginia Wage Payment and Collection Act, relating to failure to pay overtime; to pay required stipends; and to accurately pay wages based on years of service. Additional alleged violations include breach of employment contracts; failure to provide duty-free lunch and administrative periods; failure to reimburse expenses relating to their professional licenses and other out-of-pocket expenses; failure to provide vacation and sick pay to the plaintiffs; and failure to pay any wages for orientation of substitute school nurses.
The complaint, filed in Berkeley County Circuit Court, alleges through the eight counts that the 31 defendants, both current and former Berkeley County school nurses, failed to receive adequate pay and other compensation due them.
