The former chief of a state psychiatric hospital is suing West Virginia's health agency over allegations of gender discrimination and retaliation.

Mary Beth Carlisle was the CEO of Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington from 2004 until this month.

She was given a post in the state Bureau for Medical Services, although her lawyer says she hasn't been assigned any duties yet.

In a lawsuit filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court, Carlisle says she was paid less than male CEOs at other state-funded hospitals.

She also says she was removed from her job at Bateman because she spoke publicly about the hospital's ongoing problems with overcrowding.

The Department of Health and Human Resources could not be immediately reached for comment.

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