WASHINGTON -- A nursing administrator has filed a $4 million sexual harassment lawsuit against Howard University Hospital.

Evelyn White, 52, accused Dr. Geoffrey Mountvarner of making repeated sexual propositions and inappropriately touching her. White's lawyer, Lisa Banks, said Mountvarner also harassed other employees and had a negative effect on patients.

"[The] graphic and vulgar behavior in the workplace, which of course affected her day-to-day activities in the office, instead of being able to address the patient-care issues for which she was hired, she was fending off these advances," Banks said.

Banks said the harassment began in May 2007 when Mountvarner became Howard's chairman of emergency medicine.

A hospital spokesperson told News4 that the hospital cannot comment on cases that are currently in litigation.