Dental assistant sues ex-employer, claims she was victim of hate crime
February 11, 2021 - Shykia Nelson of Clearwater has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Tampa federal court against her former employer, Keep Smiling Dental, that alleges she was the victim of a violent hate crime. Nelson, 25, claims she was the only Black dental assistant employed at the Clearwater-based clinic and was routinely belittled and made to perform undesirable tasks. After voicing her objections to the alleged mistreatment, Nelson said clinic owner Dr. Laura Habner slapped her in the face. Nelson then claims she called the police to report a hate crime and was subsequently fired by Habner. In a phone call to the Catalyst, Habner's attorney, Jim Thompson of Thompson Legal Center in Tampa, said Nelson was not fired, but instead quit her job, and that he believes Habner's position that Nelson was not subjected to racial discrimination while employed at Keep Smiling Dental.