Michigan Hospital Settles Nurse's Racial Discrimination Complaint

Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Mich., has settled a lawsuit filed by a nurse who claimed the hospital obliged a man's request and specified that no African-American nurses were to take care of a newborn child, according to a Detroit Free Press report.

The suit was filed by nurse Tonya Battle, who claimed a man with a swastika tattoo requested African-American nurses not care for his child in fall 2012. Ms. Battle claimed hospital staff put a note on an assignment clipboard that said African-American nurses could not care for the baby.

Although the sign was later allegedly removed, African-American nurses were not assigned to care for the patient for roughly one month, according to the report.

In a statement, hospital CEO Melany Gavulic said, "We regret that our policies were not well enough understood and followed, causing the perception that Hurley condoned this conduct. Hurley Medical Center is fundamentally opposed to any form of racial discrimination," according to the report.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

A second nurse has since filed suit against the hospital over the alleged incident, according to the report. A status on settlement negotiations for that lawsuit was not provided in the report.

More Articles on Hospital Lawsuits and Settlements:

Beth Israel Deaconess to Pay $7M in High-Profile Gender Discrimination Suit
Nurse Sues Hurley Medical Center in Michigan for Alleged Racial Discrimination
Nearly 400 People Sue St. Joseph London in Kentucky for Alleged Overstenting


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