Tonya Becker, RN, a former employee of recently shuttered Sturm Cosmetic Surgery in Ames, Iowa, has filed a lawsuit against her former employer alleging retaliatory discharge, age discrimination and sexual harassment, the Ames Tribune reported March 14.
Ms. Becker was a registered nurse at the center for two years, until she claims she was wrongfully terminated by head surgeon Lindsay Sturm, DO, in 2024 for “refusing to compromise patient safety, rejecting illegal and unethical directives, and standing up against a toxic work environment,” according to the report. She also alleged that Dr. Sturm created a “workplace culture where employees felt unable to express safety concerns without fear of retaliation.”
The lawsuit comes after former patients of Dr. Sturm recently came forward alleging complications that they are facing in the wake of the center’s closure. Ames resident A.J. Gomez-Han, for example, told the Tribune that he contracted a bacterial infection and endured “a lot of discomfort” as a result of a pair of local surgeries he received at the facility in 2024. He was scheduled for a third operation at Sturm Cosmetic Surgery before it suddenly closed, according to the report.
Dr. Sturm remains actively licensed, according to the report, but is also facing two unrelated malpractice lawsuits — one for wrongful death and another seeking damages after a “negligent procedure” was allegedly performed.
Becker’s has reached out to Dr. Sturm and will update this article if more information becomes available.
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