Posted in Christian County’s Third Judicial Circuit this past Sunday, Oak Grove’s Kayleigh Schimp has filed a civil suit against her former employer, Trigg County Hospital, and its lead staffers — CEO John Sumner and Director of HR Amy Edmonson — claiming three counts of impropriety against her behalf.
Count I: a violation of the “Kentucky Whistleblower Act,” which prohibits retaliation and/or discrimination against an employee against good faith reports.
Count II: a violation of rights protected by the Kentucky Constitution against all defendants, namely freedom of speech.
And Count III: a violation of rights protected by prohibition against retaliation in health care facilities.
She is seeking adequate compensation for losses sustained due to termination, as well as compensation for costs and expenses incurred through attorneys’ fees at the office of Hopkinsville’s Bill Deatherage.
According to the facts listed in the suit, Schimp was hired by Trigg County Hospital in June 2024 at 23 years old and as the mother of three children, and soon was promoted to full-time status under the guidance of former EMS Director Jason Meador.
During her employment, Schimp states she “became aware of certain safety concerns” within the department, and reported them to Meador, who — in turn — reported them to Sumner.
This included, but is not limited to:
+ Improper disposing of needles, sharp objects and glass vials from inside of county ambulances.
+ Certain EMS employees failing or refusing to conduct full on-site medical evaluations of patients, and instead opting to “load-and-go” without providing “prompt or adequate” medical care on scene.
+ And that one EMS employee “demonstrated an ongoing inability to adequately hear patients, fellow EMS employees, or medical staff.”
Schimp claims Sumner instructed Meador “not to discipline” said employees.
Then, in April 2025, Meador determined that more than 20 vials of Toradol were unaccounted for in the EMS department. It is not a narcotic, opioid or controlled substance, and it is not scheduled with the Drug Enforcement Administration, but it is regularly administered to relieve pain and is considered a popular painkiller. It also requires a doctor’s order.
Schimp notes that Meador reported the matter to Sumner, and indicated that multiple hospital employees claimed knowledge, or direct observation, of a specific employee using Toradol without permission while on the job. Sumner then informed Meador there would not be an investigation, because the employee “no longer worked at the hospital.”
Toradol then became locked in the EMS department alongside narcotics, and only was accessible through approval and supervision.
On October 26, 2025, Schimp was sent an email by Edmonson, reporting workplace safety concerns, and two days later, Sumner met with Schimp about the email’s contents.
It’s here she further relayed information about a “concerning emergency medical services call,” where an employee left Schimp alone with a disoriented diabetic patient who was suffering from low blood sugar.
Schimp said she needed to administer glucose through IV, but that she also required approval from a supervising paramedic. “Peering out of the ambulance” looking for said paramedic, she found him having “walked to the rear of the patient’s residence,” where he stayed for “an extended period” and delayed care.
During this same meeting, Schimp reaffirmed her previous concerns, only for Sumner to “become angered” and “demanded” how she knew Meador had previously reported those said issues.
On November 4, 2025, Schimp was contacted by Trigg County Sheriff Aaron Acree, who telephoned and later visited her and her family in Oak Grove. Schimp said she was directly asked about missing Toradol, and she denied taking it.
Moments later, Schimp said she received a call from Trigg County Hospital officials, demanding a same-day meeting, and Sumner and Edmonson confronted her for taking the Toradol, and offered her a chance to resign. Sumner allegedly “slammed his hands on the desk” and stated “he was not playing games,” and terminated her employment.
At 12:14 PM November 4, 2025, mere minutes after Schimp’s dismissal, Meador resigned as director of EMS.
Schimp further noted that, following her termination, Toradol continues to be “misplaced or stolen” from the EMS department.
She filed an unemployment insurance claim, the hospital alleged she was ineligible for it due to a criminal investigation, and despite the objection, she was awarded it anyway.
A lawsuit only presents one side of the case.
