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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Rogue River man allegedly copped to fatal knifing, affidavit says ... Muralists add color to I-5 columns as part of Hawthorne Park renovation ... US authorities allege Oregon imam assisted radicals ... Rogue River man allegedly copped to fatal knifing, affidavit says ... Muralists add color to I-5 columns as part of Hawthorne Park renovation ... US authorities allege Oregon imam assisted radicals ... COURTS OnTrack addiction treatment center denies retaliating against whistle-blower Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 20, 2015 at 3:45 PM Updated Jan 20, 2015 at 5:31 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 20, 2015 at 3:45 PM Updated Jan 20, 2015 at 5:31 PM » Social News An answer filed by lawyers for OnTrack Inc. in a recent whistle-blower-retaliation lawsuit denies the company retaliated against a former counselor-in-training who reported alleged sexual abuse, saying supervisors transferred her for reasons unrelated to her complaint. The Medford company, which provides addiction-treatment services at four locations in Jackson County, is facing two separate lawsuits in Jackson County Circuit Court, both of which stem from alleged sexual abuse by a therapist and counselor that plaintiffs say was first reported to staff in April 2014. That counselor has yet to be charged with a crime. The whistle-blower-retaliation complaint, filed on behalf of former counselor-in-training Chavala Bates, also names OnTrack's director, Rita Sullivan, as a defendant. It claims Sullivan demoted Bates after she reported the abuse and then barred her from coming onto OnTrack property when she took a job as a Department of Human Services liaison for Community Works. Bates said she’s since lost that job as a direct result of what she describes as retaliation by Sullivan. OnTrack's answer denies that Bates directly told Sullivan or other supervisors of the alleged abuse, and says Bates "disclosed confidential information to third parties” by the time the company had looked into the allegations. The company also denies that Bates was demoted to an entry-level case manager, saying supervisors already had planned to transfer her to their day-treatment division because she needed "additional supervision." OnTrack does acknowledge that Bates gave staff a letter saying she had notified the state Bureau of Labor and Industries of what she felt was retaliation for reporting the alleged abuse. The second lawsuit, filed by a former court-ordered client of OnTrack who says she was assaulted by the counselor in question, is set for trial May 5. Both Bates and the plaintiff in the sexual-assault case are seeking $300,000 in damages in addition to lost wages and attorneys' fees. Bates is also seeking an injunction barring Sullivan from giving her potential employers a negative reference. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471 or [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 20, 2015 at 3:45 PM Updated Jan 20, 2015 at 5:31 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501