A recent federal lawsuit details allegations that an employee was terminated shortly after seeking unpaid wages from her employer, raising questions about workplace retaliation and wage practices. The complaint was filed by Chyna Calloway in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on March 23, 2026, naming West Oaks Urgent Care, LLC doing business as Village Urgent Care and Wellness Center as the defendant.
According to the court documents, Calloway worked as a nurse practitioner for the defendant from approximately September 26, 2025 to October 7, 2025. Her responsibilities included providing comprehensive care to patients such as assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of various medical conditions. The filing states that Calloway was classified as a non-exempt employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
The complaint outlines that on October 5 and October 7, 2025, Calloway worked beyond her scheduled shift of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., staying until around 9:00 p.m. on one occasion and until about 9:30 p.m. on another. She alleges she was not compensated for this additional time worked.
Calloway reports that on or about October 3, 2025, she was informed by her employer that her bank routing number was allegedly incorrect and that she would not receive her wages for that pay period until the next pay period. After contacting the human resources department on October 6 for an update regarding her unpaid wages and receiving no response, she formally requested a paper check on October 7 but says this request was refused.
“As a direct result of Defendant’s failure and refusal to pay her earned wages,” Calloway states in the filing that she submitted a wage complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission on October 7, 2025. She also informed Human Resources Manager Marie Ledesma via text message about filing the complaint.
On or about October 15, Calloway discovered she was no longer scheduled to work. Upon inquiry, she learned her employment status had been changed from part-time to PRN (as needed) status. She immediately notified her employer that this reclassification was improper and provided documentation confirming her part-time status.
The same day—eight days after submitting her wage complaint—Calloway alleges she was terminated from employment by West Oaks Urgent Care. The lawsuit claims “the temporal proximity between Plaintiff’s protected activity and her termination evidences retaliatory intent.”
In Count I of the complaint, Calloway asserts retaliation in violation of Section 215(a)(3) of the FLSA. The statute prohibits employers from discharging or discriminating against employees who file complaints or participate in proceedings related to wage issues under federal law. The suit alleges there is a causal connection between Calloway’s protected activity—filing a wage complaint—and the adverse action taken by her employer.
Calloway seeks judgment against West Oaks Urgent Care for all counts listed in the complaint. She requests unpaid overtime wages and liquidated damages pursuant to federal law; compensatory damages for alleged retaliatory conduct; pre-judgment and post-judgment interest; reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs; as well as any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Elizabeth Fridman and Bruce A. Coane of Coane and Associates PLLC in Houston. The case is identified as Case No.: 4:26-cv-02296.
Source: 426cv02296_C_Calloway_v_West_Oaks_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Texas.pdf
