Plaintiff alleges HealthTexas Provider Network violated Title VII through racial discrimination

In a compelling legal battle, an African American woman is challenging her former employer over allegations of racial discrimination and retaliation. Kimberly Nicole Mills filed a complaint against HealthTexas Provider Network (HTPN) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on December 11, 2025, accusing the healthcare entity of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Kimberly Nicole Mills, who worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner for HTPN from August 2020 until her termination in December 2024, alleges that she faced disparate treatment compared to her Caucasian colleagues under new management led by Practice Administrator Brianna Ploude. According to Mills, she was denied equal opportunities such as participation in compensation panels and was subjected to reduced eligibility rules not applied to her white peers. “After Practice Administrator Brianna Ploude assumed leadership,” Mills stated, “I experienced disparate treatment compared to similarly situated Caucasian coworkers.” She also noted instances where a white nurse practitioner received privileges and exceptions that were denied to her.

The lawsuit outlines a series of events leading up to Mills’ termination, which she believes were retaliatory actions following her complaints about unfair treatment. On July 29, 2024, after expressing interest in an internal transfer due to ongoing issues with management, Mills claims she was suddenly placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) without prior warnings or documented performance issues—a move she perceived as retaliatory. The PIP followed closely after she notified her supervisor about seeking a transfer, which was allegedly met with accusations of “performance gaps” tied directly to her job search.

Mills further accuses HTPN of using falsified documentation to justify her termination. In December 2024, an office manager reportedly copied and pasted one of Mills’ medical notes into a patient chart inaccurately, creating the false impression that she delayed a patient’s surgery—a claim later confirmed false by both the patient and Mills’ supervising physician. Despite this confirmation, the note was used as grounds for terminating her employment just days before receiving an offer for an internal transfer.

The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress and reputational harm, punitive damages if permitted by law, and injunctive relief requiring HTPN to correct false records affecting her future employment prospects. She also demands a jury trial on all triable issues.

Representing herself pro se in this case is Kimberly Nicole Mills while HealthTexas Provider Network has yet to respond publicly through their legal representation. The case has been assigned Case ID: 3:25-cv-03398-K-BN under Judge Kinkeade with Magistrate Judge David L. Horan presiding over preliminary matters.