Hurley agrees to pay $65,000 to settle second no-black-nurses lawsuit
Original News Article from MLIVE:
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on November 04, 2014 at 5:30 PM, updated November 04, 2014 at 5:41 PM
FLINT, MI — Hurley Medical Center has agreed to pay $65,000 to settle a lawsuit from a fourth black nurse who claims that she was discriminated against when the hospital allegedly refused to let her treat a white baby.
Attorney Tom Pabst confirmed Tuesday, Nov. 4, his client, Carlotta Armstrong, finalized the settlement with the hospital.
Pabst said the settlement points to an ongoing problem of racial discrimination at the hospital.
However, the hospital denies any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
“Hurley Medical Center denies any wrongdoing and was prepared to take this case to trial but was able to resolve this matter on terms acceptable to all parties,” said hospital spokeswoman Ilene Cantor. “As always, Hurley Medical Center is committed to taking care of all patients without regard to race and continues its commitment to non-discrimination.”
Pabst said Armstrong still works for the hospital.
Armstrong was the fourth black Hurley nurse to file a lawsuit after they claimed the hospital discriminated against them when it fulfilled a white father’s request not to let black nurses treat his child.
The three other nurses filed a lawsuit together, and they settled their complaint in February 2013 for nearly $200,000.
The father of a white baby allegedly told the supervisor of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit that he did not want a black nurse taking care of his baby, the suit claimed. The father allegedly rolled up his sleeve and showed a tattoo that was believed to be a swastika while talking with the supervisor, the initial suit says.
According to the initial lawsuit, the supervisor then reassigned the infant to a different nurse and posted a note stating, “No African American nurse to take care of baby,” on the assignment clipboard.
The story received national attention from news organizations such as The Huffington Post and USA Today. Nationally syndicated Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. also wrote about the suit.