A physician’s assistant finds herself at the center of a legal battle after alleging wrongful termination from her former employer. On January 28, 2026, Charnai Sherry filed an appeal in the Court of Appeals for the State of Wisconsin against Froedtert South, Inc., challenging the dismissal of her retaliation complaint by the Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission.
The case revolves around Sherry’s claims that she was wrongfully terminated by Froedtert South, Inc. (FSI) after raising concerns about patient care practices within the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department where she worked alongside Dr. Mini Sivadasan. Sherry reported clinical concerns regarding Sivadasan’s patient care to FSI’s administration, which were deemed credible and reasonable by FSI’s chief medical officer, leading to peer reviews of Sivadasan’s clinical care. Despite these developments, Sherry alleges that her working relationship with Sivadasan deteriorated further, prompting her to request a transfer to another department on June 1, 2018.
Susan Ventura, FSI’s executive vice president, attempted to accommodate Sherry by offering her several alternative positions within the organization or with affiliated groups. However, Sherry expressed a preference for cardiac surgery roles outside FSI and declined the offers presented to her. The situation culminated in a misunderstanding over a potential transfer to FSI’s oncology group on July 18, 2018. According to Ventura, during a phone call on that day, Sherry expressed a desire to leave FSI for an external cardiac surgery position and agreed to be released from her employment contract.
Sherry disputes this account and maintains that there was no mutual agreement to terminate her employment during the conversation with Ventura. She contends that Ventura never followed up on rescheduling meetings for other opportunities within FSI after their discussion on July 18. Subsequently, on July 31, 2018, Sherry received a “Termination of Employment” letter from FSI acknowledging what it described as their mutual agreement to end her employment effective July 27.
Sherry filed a retaliation complaint under WISCONSIN STAT. § 146.997 (2023-34), arguing that she faced disciplinary action for reporting quality of care issues concerning Dr. Sivadasan. However, an administrative law judge dismissed her complaint due to insufficient evidence linking any adverse action by FSI directly to her protected conduct under state law.
Seeking redress through judicial review did not yield favorable results for Sherry either; both the Commission and subsequently the circuit court upheld the ALJ’s decision. In appealing these judgments, Sherry argues procedural errors related to missing exhibits in court records potentially affecting case outcomes and challenges factual determinations made by the Commission regarding whether she engaged in protected activities or voluntarily left FSI.
Ultimately seeking reversal of prior decisions affirming dismissal of her retaliation claim against Froedtert South Inc., Charnai Sherry continues pursuing justice through appellate channels while underscoring broader implications surrounding employee rights when reporting workplace grievances impacting public health standards.
Representing parties involved are attorneys whose names remain undisclosed here; however presiding over initial circuit court proceedings was Judge Heather R Iverson alongside appellate judges Gundrum Grogan Lazar who reviewed case No:2024AP2582
Source: 2024AP2582_Sherry_v_Wisconsin_Labor_and_Industry_Review_Commission_Opinion_Wisconsin_Court_of_Appeals.pdf