A New York doctor filed a $612,500 lawsuit against Grady Memorial Hospital Thursday asserting that hospital officials hired him as a top administrator, moved him to Atlanta and then killed the deal the night before he was to start work.

Dr. William Bithoney said Grady officials are guilty of fraud and breach of contract because they misled him, prompting him to move to Atlanta, then leaving him stranded, personally and professionally.

The lawsuit filed in DeKalb County Superior Court asserts that Pam Stephenson, chairwoman of the Grady hospital authority board, made agreements with him for employment, only to break them.

Stephenson said through a spokeswoman Thursday that she has not seen the lawsuit and can not comment. In April, Stephenson blamed the dispute on former Grady CEO Otis Story, who she said hired Bithoney without board approval. When the board learned of the matter, she said, it scotched the deal and a few months later fired Story. The board selected Stephenson to replace Story.

Bithoney's lawsuit said, "Stephenson used this shameful incident to fire Story and have herself named to his job, with a compensation package worth nearly $1,000,000 per year."

Bithoney said he is entitled to 15 months salary as severance. He is also asking for other damages for lost wages and emotional distress.

Stephenson has said that Bithoney knew the deal was not final when he moved to Atlanta, so Grady owes him nothing.