FLINT, Mich., Feb. 16 (UPI) — A nurse is suing a Michigan hospital for allegedly complying with a man’s request that no African-Americans be involved in his baby’s care.
Tonya Battle, an African-American woman who worked as a nurse at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, has accused the hospital of removing her from a case based on the color of her skin, CNN reported Saturday.
According to the complaint filed in January by Battle’s attorney, the man spoke to Battle’s supervisor and told her that he didn’t want African-Americans involved in his baby’s care. Battle was caring for his child in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
The request was eventually approved by the hospital and a note was put on its the baby’s medical chart, according to the suit: “Please, no African-American nurses to care for … baby per dad’s request.”
Battle’s attorney Julie Gafkay said her client “was very upset. She was very offended.”
Hospital lawyers later objected to the decision and the note was removed after about a month. Staff told the father that they could no long honor his request, the complaint said.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
I blame the Republicans, we should of never set them free.
Another person using the race card to get some free money.
Mason city racists agree!
Thank you, Citizen.
You can try to justify it any way you want. Cloaking it under free speech doesn’t change the facts. You are what you are and I am glad that I don’t know you.
@Susie Q -It seems like you made a few people upset with your postings. I say wonderful. Terrific. It’s about time people realized that this is still a free country, and that free thinking and free speech isn’t dead. Do I agree with what you posted? No. But you have the right to post what you want, and you should be able to do so w/out being called names and labeled like you were. We have laws against discrimination, but no country will ever rid itself of prejudice, hatred, or people not liking each other. If other people can’t accept that, they’re the ones with the problem, not you. Have a great day!!
I agree that Q has every right to say what she is thinking. But that doesn’t change the fact that what she said is very racist or if that is what she believes, she is a racist. We also have a right to say what we think.
@happy guy-once again we agree. We also have a right to our opinion and that makes her WRONG.
@LVS – As someone has said on here before, you need to get a life. Just because you feel you are right does not give you the justification to call someone else wrong. This may come as a shock to you, but you really are human. And no, you are not a god. So while you are entitled to your opinion, just remember, that’s all it is – an opinion. And “happyguy”, you may wish to remember that also.
I didn’t say Q was wrong. I just said she is a racist. If you think that is OK then that is your opinion and you too would be a racist. I believe racist’s are one step above a pedofile. I think that Suzie Q is a bottom feeder just like a pedofile. That’s just my opinion.
@a citizen-how do you know I am not a god? Who told you that? You think you are so smart you can call people names and not be called out. The nurse was discriminated against and that is a fact. Anyone who supports that is a racist. I guess we know where you stand on that don’t we?
Bo, we aren’t in KKK. You and LVS are wrong as the dickens. We know some black people we like, most of them are good. We love to listen to Nat King Cole and the Mills Brothers on our hi-fi, and we like Jeffersons and the show with that black boy name of JJ. Every Sunday I make pancakes with Aunt Jemima batter. So you can just put that in your pipe and smoke it.
@Suzie Q-you think that just because you have some CD’s by African Americans it makes it OK to call them racial names like darkies? Read your post again. You are obviously a racist and think you are better than people of color when in fact people like you are the bottom feeders in our society.
It’s a patient’s right to choose what race nurse they get, specially since we have no choice about paying into Medicare. If they give no choice, take our money, we at least can choose. By the bye, I have nothing against most darkies, and we treat most of them just like regular people.
@Suzie Q-what a terrible thing to say. People like you are the reason we still have hatred. I really thought that type of attitude was dead.
You are so right LVS. Susie Q probably belongs to the KKK.
My doctor’s nurse is white and I can’t stand her. She’s rude and I cringe everytime I have to go to the doctor and have to get past her first.
It’s your right to not like the nurse and to change Drs. if you don’t like his nurse. Since she’s the only staff he has you’re stuck with her unless you change Drs.. A hospital setting is different. There is other staff to choose from.
Most hospitals are privately owned so they have the right to tell you to accept the nurse they give you or go to another hospital.
I guess I don’t understand this very well. I have been in the hospital several times and didn’t care one bit what color skin my nurse had. My only concern was, were they qualified and I can say with all confidence that every nurse I have ever had was great. Didn’t matter what color she was. All this did was hurt her feelings for no reason and perhaps give her another reason to dislike white’s.
So are you saying the nurses feelings come above the patients feelings? So if you get a crabby nurse and want a happy one the hospital should ignore your wish for a happier nurse?
@annymouse-if the nurse in incompetent you have the right to ask for someone else. To ask for another nurse just because you don’t like the color of her skin is racist and if I was running the hospital I would tell them they had the right to leave and go to another hospital where they would be happy. I would not humiliate the nurse just because of her color. That would be just as bad as saying you don’t like a nurse because she was fat. Decent people do not act that way.
RIGHT ON LVS!!!
@Annymouse-I didn’t say that at all. If the only reason for requesting another nurse was because of her skin color that is racist no matter what anyone says. It is also not a valid reason ti ask for another nurse.
imo The nurses is in the wrong. Patients have a right to say who they want or don’t want taking care of them simply because it’s THEIR body and they are PAYING for their care. They don’t need a reason nor have to follow any discrimination laws. And the hospital has a duty to the patient to grant them their wish.
I hope the nurse loses. I wouldn’t want nurses to begin believing they can decide or dictate a patients rights or choices. Would any of you?
This patient’s request is no different than people only going to male or female Drs. Or a woman requesting no male nurses. Or a male patient requesting only male nurses for bath assist.
then they should hire their own private nurse.
The hospital is at fault for allowing the racist father an opportunity to practice his racism at the hospital. Suing the hospital for racism, however, seems a little much. Maybe suing them for stupidity would be better. And no, you don’t have the right to tell a hospital what color you want your caretakers to be.
@bodacious – Where does it stipulate that you can’t request certain caretakers in a hospital? You stated a person does not have that right. All I am asking is for proof of your statment.
You can ask for a certain doctor but using race as a reason for your choice is not your right. It is called racism.
You have the right to ask for anything you want, hookers, morphine, a bottle of crown but they have the right to tell you no just like any other business because that is what they are. If you don’t like that then go to a different hospital.
I hope the Holy Spirit comes over all your wives and they all give birth to black baby Jesuses through immaculate conception!
@Katie – OMG, are you for real?
😉
Haven’t been to church other than mandatory funerals since high school. I thought it wasn’t perverted to have a sense of humor.
And you complain when other’s are nastey…God doesn’t like phoney hypocrits either. And are you saying you’re asking God to use babies to “punish” people? Why would people want to follow a “devine leader” that would do that? No wonder there’s athiests.
After reading Katies post, I think I will start to sleep in Sunday mornings. If she is the kind of person I have been getting up to share my time and fellowship with, it doesn’t seem to have much purpose any more.
That was I who posted I hadn’t been to church in forever. You guys on here are so gullible you will believe about anything posted. You sure took the bait and ran with this one, even after I poster a winky face in reply to citizen.
@katie – Interesting. All I was was a semi-colon, a dash, and a parenthesis.
Back in the day, negro nurses was the best around specially for babys. But then, the South lost the War.
What movie did you get that idea from? Gone With The Wind, North and South, Roots?
Fast forward to 2013.
When I get Ice Cream I ask for vanilla. And I get vanilla. If this man don’t want black folks caring for his child thats his right. This is America people.
A person has the right to choose her/his own doctor, why not the right to choose the nurse, also?
However wrong it is, what about this man’s right to determine who cares for his children?
Too bad it too the hospital so long to wake up.