Update on no black nurses lawsuit case. After a black nurse at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Mich. discovered a note in her patient's file that read "no African American nurse to take care of baby" she was appalled. She was shocked even more when the hospital granted the request of the man, who is believed to be a neo-nazi. On Feb. 18, NY Daily News reported that the nurse, Tonya Battle, and her lawyer have a strong case against the hospital.
"We have proof that when the discriminatory request was made, the hospital granted the request," attorney Julie Gafkay said.
This case of blatant racism began when a newborn's father, who was wearing a tattoo that was believed to be a swastika of some sort, told supervisors that he didn't want any black nurses to take care of his daughter who was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Following the complaint, the baby was reassigned from Tonya Battle, who is a veteran nurse, to another nurse in unit after the baby's father asked to speak with a supervisor.
"The father told the Charge Nurse that he did not want any African Americans taking care of his baby," reads the complaint. "While telling the Charge Nurse, he pulled up his sleeve and showed some type of tattoo which was believed to be a swastika of some kind."
The hospital granted the man's request and this move outraged Battle and others. She is now suing the hospital for punitive damages for emotional stress, mental anguish, humiliation and damages to her reputation. Her attorney later told media sources,
"I don't doubt that people have made requests like this in the past. You're not going to control the prejudices and biases of people. That's not my client's issue. The problem she has … is that her employer of 25 years granted (the request)."
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