Cleveland-based MetroHealth has refuted claims made in a lawsuit filed by Airica Steed, EdD, RN, who was terminated as president and CEO of the health system in August 2024.
Ten things to know:
1. In February 2025, Dr. Steed filed a lawsuit against MetroHealth, three board members and four executives, alleging discrimination, retaliation and defamation.
2. The lawsuit asserts that Dr. Steed was unlawfully terminated “without cause” while on approved medical leave, despite receiving favorable performance reviews.
3. Dr. Steed alleges she faced racism and harassment at MetroHealth and that her firing was unlawful retaliation for taking approved leave and reporting suspected financial misconduct and missing public records.
4. The lawsuit claims the health system’s board interfered with an external investigation into the concerns she raised.
5. Defendants filed a 75-page response on May 7 in federal court, stating that Dr. Steed “failed to comply with her obligations, perform the job duties required of her as CEO, or meet the board’s legitimate expectations.”
6. According to the response, Dr. Steed received a “generally neutral rating” during a March 2024 performance review, with “several critical issues” identified and actionable steps recommended.
7. Dr. Steed’s team has disagreed with this characterization of her review. The board told her she “met or exceeded expectations” for “financial management” during her March 1 performance review and described her performance as “commendable.”
8. In May 2024, the board reiterated previous goals and expectations. Defendants claim Dr. Steed “failed to address the issues highlighted by the board, failed to respond to the board, and did not provide the updates to the board as required,” and that she “engaged in insubordinate conduct, exhibiting a blatant disregard for the board’s overall authority.”
9. Regarding allegations of public records deletion, defendants state an investigation found “no evidence that any of the referenced emails or hard drives were deleted or destroyed.” They also describe claims of discrimination, harassment and a toxic work environment as meritless, asserting that MetroHealth “did not end the at-will employment relationship for any discriminatory or retaliatory purpose.”
10. Becker’s reached out to Dr. Steed’s attorneys and will update this story if a comment is received. MetroHealth had no additional comment beyond the response filed in court.
