Cox whistleblower jury trial postponed, judge recuses self

Last edited 1:32 p.m., June 4, 2015

A civil suit brought by former CoxHealth employee and surgical technician Michael Bruton, previously scheduled to go to trial May 11, has been postponed to Aug. 15, 2016.

According to court activity on Missouri CaseNet, Judge Jason Brown, who was formerly assigned to the case, recused himself May 4 after a phone conference with counsel and at the request of Bruton. The May 11 trial also was canceled during the conference. Brown’s wife is Julie Turner Brown, whose family’s contributions led to the naming of CoxHealth’s Turner Center.

On May 5, the case was reassigned from Greene County’s Associate Court Division 22 to Division 24 under Judge Mark Powell. 

Bruton is represented by lead counsel Jerome Dobson and associate attorneys Nicole Matlock and Brian Love of St. Louis-based law office Dobson, Golberg, Berns and Rich LLP.

Bryan Wade, a managing partner at the Springfield office of Husch Blackwell LLP and a representative for CoxHealth, declined to comment on the case changes, citing the court’s gag order issued May 1.

Bruton, a 30-year employee of CoxHealth formerly employed as a sterile processing department technician at the health care system’s surgery center on Walnut Lawn Street, filed the wrongful termination suit in 2011.

The case filing states Bruton was falsely accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual acts at work - “crotch grabbing” and “pelvic thrusting” - and is seeking lost wages and punitive damages as determined by a jury, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.