A former orthopedic surgical resident who was allegedly called a “one-hole wonder” by her male colleagues has filed a lawsuit against HCA Florida Healthcare Ocala Hospital and the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees, alleging she was wrongfully terminated after facing pervasive sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination.
The civil complaint was filed in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court in Marion County on June 9, by attorneys representing Jacqueline Rocco.
According to the lawsuit, Rocco began her five-year orthopedic surgical residency on July 1, 2023, at the HCA Florida Ocala Hospital (1431 SW 1st Ave). That Ocala-based program is jointly operated and managed by the University of Central Florida (UCF) and HCA Ocala.
The complaint claims that during her time in the program, Rocco was a competent resident who received glowing evaluations from attending physicians. However, she claims she was subjected to a pervasive pattern of sex-based discrimination by the hospital’s staff and her male counterparts.
The lawsuit alleges that male residents and physicians frequently made inappropriate and degrading comments toward Rocco. In one such instance, a male resident allegedly told Rocco she looked like she belonged in a “med spa.”
In another instance, an attending surgeon allegedly asked why the “hell” she was in medicine and suggested she just “run off and get a sugar daddy.”
The filing also claims an attending physician joked that his nickname for Rocco would be “one-hole wonder.” Rocco states she reported the “sugar daddy” comment to the administration, but no action was ever taken to discipline the attending surgeon.
In addition to the verbal harassment, the complaint outlines multiple instances of disparate treatment regarding scheduling and leave.
Rocco alleges that the administration approved extended holiday leave for mostly male senior residents over the Christmas and New Year period, leaving her in charge of the entire Level 1 orthopedic trauma service as a junior resident without required senior backup.
Rocco claims a similar situation occurred during Thanksgiving 2024. Furthermore, the lawsuit states that male residents were allowed to change their rotations for personal events like bachelor parties or paternity leave, while Rocco was systematically denied schedule flexibility for board examination preparation.
The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of pregnancy discrimination. Rocco alleges she endured unwarranted and unprompted comments about her body “starting to show” and was constantly given the runaround when requesting paid time off for her own reproductive medical appointments.
By contrast, the complaint claims male residents were regularly granted time off for their wives’ appointments or sick children. The lawsuit notes that when Rocco attended an early morning pilates class, staff spread invasive rumors that she was attending Lamaze classes.
Rocco also argues that male residents faced significantly lighter discipline for severe infractions. The complaint cites one male resident who failed to appear for work for consecutive days after being arrested for driving under the influence. Rather than facing discipline, the program administrator allegedly coded his unexplained absences as sick days and he was ultimately promoted.
Another male resident who allegedly failed his board examinations four times received supportive letters from the program director, while Rocco claims her single retake of an exam was characterized as a performance deficiency.
On January 5, 2025, Rocco submitted a formal report to the program director requesting the removal of biased personnel and a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, bullying, and harassment. A few months later, on April 16, 2025, the defendants abruptly terminated Rocco’s employment.
The stated reason for her termination was the alleged falsification of time records for a three-day period in October 2024. Rocco argues this justification is entirely pretextual, noting that she was under medical care during those days and her direct supervisors were aware of her medical status. The lawsuit alleges that the program’s administration actively coached and required residents to underreport their hours and “cut and paste” their weekly schedules to maintain an illusion of compliance with the 80-hour work week cap.
Following a multi-step internal grievance process that upheld her firing without independent investigation, Rocco filed the civil suit demanding a jury trial.
Rocco is seeking equitable relief, including potential reinstatement, as well as compensation for lost wages, lost earning capacity, emotional distress, and damage to her professional reputation. The complaint also demands over $50,000 in damages for violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Florida Civil Rights Act.