An Indiana University Health paramedic walks beside a LifeLine ambulance. Cody Halstead, a current paramedic with IU Health, has sued the company, alleging discrimination in a federal lawsuit. (Courtesy of IU Health, Illustration by Farrah Anderson)
Cody Halstead had always dreamed of being a paramedic.
But after six years of working in the EMS department at Indiana University Health, Halstead filed a civil lawsuit against IU Health LifeLine, alleging discrimination and retaliation based on his sexual orientation.
“I felt that I was being punished for being honest and different, and didn't really want to stay silent about that,” Halstead said in an interview with WFYI.
Halstead first filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission detailing some of the issues he alleges he has faced at work.
The EEOC responded to Halstead’s complaint and said that it “will not proceed further with its investigation and makes no determination about whether further investigation would establish violations of the statute.”
This opened the door for Halstead to take his case to court.
‘I was punished for being honest’
Halstead filed a federal lawsuit on Jan. 1, 2025 against IU Health LifeLine in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, arguing that IU Health violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in all aspects of employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origins. Halstead, a gay man, alleges he was harassed by two tenured paramedics who he believes targeted him because of his sexuality.
He claims the pair frequently shouted profanities at him and a coworker, repeatedly radioed them to take their runs in an effort to avoid work, and, in one incident, drove into oncoming traffic while blasting an airhorn and making aggressive gestures toward him and his partner who were in a vehicle opposite to them.
The suit centers on what Halstead describes as management’s failure to take his complaints seriously and resolve the issues he was facing in the workplace — and the retaliation that followed.
On June 18, 2024, about two weeks after meeting with supervisors, he claimed in court filings that he received “the highest level of corrective action.”
He said the corrective action, which included “a long list of issues”, is in stark contrast to his prior performance reviews and praise. He added that these issues were never conveyed to him prior to that and were “sporadic in nature”.
In a statement to WFYI, Indiana University Health spokesperson Lisa Tellus said that in April, the Court dismissed Halstead’s claims against certain named individual IU Health managers and directors, while Halstead’s retaliation and discrimination claims against IU Health remain pending.
“While IU Health denies it engaged in any unlawful conduct toward Halstead, it cannot comment further as this is an ongoing litigation matter,” Tellus responded in an emailed statement.
In court filings, IU Health said that the corrective actions Halstead received were for “good reasons” and were not related to his sexual orientation or to his complaints of workplace harassment.
IU Health asked the court to dismiss the case before a trial happens. They argued that Halstead does not have enough evidence to prove his claims of discrimination and retaliation to win his case.
But Halstead alleges that his manager and the director continue to target him and that they implied he should not bring up any other problems, according to court filings.
“I've watched this develop over the course of six years, and unfortunately, seen it get worse and worse,” he said to WFYI. “The issues I've raised don't reflect failures of individual coworkers. They reflect failures of management.”
What’s next
The lawsuit could have a bench trial starting in December 2026, or could enter a settlement conference as early as this year.
Halstead did not hire a lawyer and is representing himself in the lawsuit.
He said he isn’t seeking a large payout — the lawsuit requests $5,000 in damages. What he wants, he said, is transparency and a better work environment for future employees.
That’s why Halstead is also asking for a host of other actions, including a review of corrective actions he received, training and review of current leadership structure, oversight of leadership, transparency from leaders, a formal process for notifying employees of issues and an external review of IU Health LifeLine leadership via an independent agency.
Kathleen DeLaney is a managing partner at DeLaney & DeLaney, who is not involved with the case, but handles civil litigation with a focus on employment. She said that with rising attorney fees and a growing lawyer shortage in Indiana, it’s likely to see more litigants like Halstead — who sue without a lawyer.
“Things start at the top,” he said. “I tried to follow the appropriate channels and made it to that point, and ultimately, the top failed me.”
But DeLaney also said it’s rarer for current employees, like Halstead, to sue their employer. Often, she said, the company negotiates their resignation into the terms of the settlement, in an attempt to sever ties with the employee totally.
DeLaney said if the case goes to a jury trial, the jury can only award money to Halstead, but if both parties decide to enter a settlement agreement, then Halstead could negotiate things like more training for supervisors into the agreement.
IU Health has previously faced lawsuits over alleged discrimination and violating the Equal Pay Act, including underpaying a female employee compared to her male replacement — a case that was later dismissed.
Farrah Anderson is an investigative health reporter with WFYI and Side Effects Public Media. You can follow her on X at @farrahsoa or by email at fanderson@wfyi.org.
