When Alexander Morris, a member of the Motown group The Four Tops, visited a Detroit-area Ascension hospital with chest ache and hassle respiration, he stated the employees assumed he was mentally unwell after he informed them he was a well-known singer. As an alternative of treating Morris, a white safety guard informed him to “sit his Black ass down” and he was positioned in a straitjacket, Morris claims in a brand new lawsuit.
Morris is suing Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan over his April 2023 therapy, alleging racial discrimination and false imprisonment, amongst different counts. The federal lawsuit, filed on Monday within the Jap District of Michigan, names as defendants the hospital, a nurse, and a safety guard who had been concerned within the incident.
In a press release, Ascension stated it will not touch upon pending litigation. “We stay dedicated to honoring human dignity and performing with integrity and compassion for all individuals and the group,” the system stated. “We don’t condone racial discrimination of any type.”
Morris described the expertise as “terrifying” in a press release shared by his attorneys.
“I see all of those posts on social media like ‘driving whereas black,’ ‘strolling whereas black,’ however I by no means imagined I might grow to be a sufferer of ‘being sick whereas Black,’” Morris stated. “The hospital by no means fired the safety guard that informed me to sit down my Black ass down. Clearly they condone racism. I filed the lawsuit to carry the hospital accountable for the way in which I used to be handled and to guard the youthful generations from racism in healthcare.”
The employees members named as defendants are safety guard Greg Ciesielski and nurse Holly Jackson. The lawsuit doesn’t point out that Ciesielski, the guard who allegedly made the racial slur, died in September 2023. A GoFundMe page for his household says Ciesielski suffered a ruptured aorta, abandoning a spouse and two grownup kids. Messages to his spouse weren’t returned. Jackson couldn’t be reached for remark. The ER doctor who handled Morris isn’t named as a defendant.
Neither of Morris’ attorneys, Maurice Davis in Southfield, Michigan, or Jasmine Rand of Miami, Florida, responded to questions on the truth that one of many defendants was deceased.
The 4 Tops is a Grammy Award-nominated vocal group from Detroit that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame in 1990. It’s recognized for hits like “I Can’t Assist Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Attain Out I’ll Be There.” On the time of the incident, The 4 Tops was on a nationwide tour with The Temptations and had just lately carried out on the Grammy Awards.
Morris has a big historical past of coronary heart issues, together with the location of stents and a defibrillator. He was transported to the emergency room on April 7, 2023, by ambulance and was already receiving oxygen. By the top of his hospitalization, he could be identified with a coronary heart assault that will require a coronary heart transplant and pneumonia. He additionally suffered three seizures throughout his hospital keep, per the lawsuit.
When he acquired to the ER, Morris informed a nurse and a safety guard that he was a member of The 4 Tops and that he had safety considerations resulting from stalkers and followers. Morris’ grievance says shortly after check-in, he defined his medical historical past to an emergency room physician and informed him about his present signs.
When he shared his celeb standing, Morris claims that the ER physician assumed he was mentally unwell. He eliminated Morris’ oxygen and ordered a psychological analysis “regardless of his clear signs of cardiac misery and important medical historical past,” the grievance stated.
As this was taking place, Morris defined to the employees round him, together with the nurse and safety guard, that he had identification and will present them who he was. As an alternative, the safety guard informed him to “sit his Black ass down.” Morris’ lawsuit stated the remark was made in entrance of not less than 4 employees members, however none of them intervened to cease the mistreatment. To his information, none of them reported the usage of a racial slur to a supervisor.
“Furthermore, not one of the nursing employees thought to easily ask for Plaintiff’s identification,” the grievance says.
Within the restraint jacket, Morris allegedly informed employees he was having hassle respiration, and requested for the oxygen again. He stated he was ignored. Morris then requested to have the jacket eliminated and for his belongings to be returned so he may depart and go to a different hospital. His lawsuit says he was informed he couldn’t depart. His medical situation declined. A number of safety guards had been allegedly referred to as to make sure he couldn’t depart.
Ultimately, Morris’ spouse confirmed up and noticed what was taking place. She informed a safety guard that he was really a member of The 4 Tops, however the guard allegedly left the restraints on and continued to disclaim Morris medical therapy. Lastly, a nurse got here to Morris’ aspect, and Morris requested if he may present her a video of him performing on the Grammy Awards. Realizing he was really a member of the group, she informed the physician, who stated he was canceling the psychological analysis. Workers eliminated the straitjacket and positioned Morris again on oxygen.
Morris’ lawsuit says he was restrained for about 90 minutes. He was supplied a $25 Meijer present card as an apology, which he declined.
Along with racial discrimination and false imprisonment, Morris’ lawsuit alleges gross negligence, negligence, battery, intentional infliction of emotional misery, and violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act.
This story has been up to date with makes an attempt to achieve the employees members named within the lawsuit.
