Lawsuit claims hospital granted man's request for no black nurses
FLINT, Mich. (AP) - An African-American nurse claims a Michigan hospital agreed to a man's request that no black nurses care for his newborn.
Forty-nine-year-old Tonya Battle tells the Detroit Free Press she didn't know how to react when she learned about the request in October at Hurley Medical Center in Flint. Battle sued last month in Genesee Circuit Court seeking punitive damages.
Battle's lawsuit claims a note was posted on an assignment clipboard reading "No African American nurse to take care of baby." She says it was later removed, but claims black nurses weren't assigned to the baby's care for about a month.
Hurley President Melany Gavulic said in a statement Tuesday the father showed Battle's supervisor a swastika tattoo, which angered the staff. She says supervisors were concerned for the staff's safety.
Forty-nine-year-old Tonya Battle tells the Detroit Free Press she didn't know how to react when she learned about the request in October at Hurley Medical Center in Flint. Battle sued last month in Genesee Circuit Court seeking punitive damages.
Battle's lawsuit claims a note was posted on an assignment clipboard reading "No African American nurse to take care of baby." She says it was later removed, but claims black nurses weren't assigned to the baby's care for about a month.
Hurley President Melany Gavulic said in a statement Tuesday the father showed Battle's supervisor a swastika tattoo, which angered the staff. She says supervisors were concerned for the staff's safety.
What next? Â No Jewish doctors...please ensure no female over the age of 40....make sure they are not Baptists. I think someone might have been wise to tell the daddy if he wanted his child treated it would be treated by whomever could provide that treatment, regardless of race, religion, sexual preference or age. Â THAT is freedom too - not to be denied the right to do your damned job because someone doesn't like your color.
@BCH mom Did not know treating babies was a nurses only job.
The only real surprise to this story is that they even HAVE white nurses in Flint Michigan. Too bad Jesse Jackson is so busy attempting damage control in his own backyard, this could of made NEWS.
Is GOLD DIGGER one word or two?Â
I wouldn't care on color, just so health care professionals are competent and speak English competentlyÂ
Good thing it wasn't a black person asking not to have a white nurse or this would not have made the news!
People have the right to select their caregivers whether or not one agrees with the decisions of parent in this case.
I disagree. First, unless the man is fabulously wealthy, either his insurance or Medicaid is helping to pay for a month-long hospital stay. In other words, other people are contributing to the care his child is receiving.  Secondly, and in any case, the hospital should have told the man if he didn't like their nurses, find another place for your sick kid. Juggling medical staff based on any characteristic that has nothing to do with skill means another patient could get the short end of the stick just to placate his racism. Shame on the all of them!
@Gentle ReaderÂ
And it's your right to disagree. That is called freedom. Just like someone should be able to select who works on them or their children. That is also freedom.
@RalphCramden So this infant was in the hospital for at least a month (according to the story), and the hospital should adjust all of their scheduling of likely well-trained neonatal nursing staff based on this jerk's bigotry?  Wanna lay odds the baby's bill was being paid for by Medicaid?
I agree, especially since they are the ones paying their wages. THey should have the right to choose.
@LostSoul Well normally I would agree but I don't agree they should be able to choose based on skin color.
Based on ability? Fine but not skin color! Where would it end? Â No black nurse, next no male nurse, no homosexual nurse and how about doctors? Â
I insist on a WHITE, HETERO, CHRISTIAN doctor! I guess I'll lay here and DIE while you hunt one down..Â
@LostSoul And yes, you have the right to "refuse service", or in this case refuse help.  If he didn't want the staff to care for his infant, maybe he should have moved the child to a different hospital.  Maybe there's a 'whites only' hospital?  Problem solved.
@LostSoul If you're not comfortable being taken care of by a licensed, well-trained professional based on the color of their skin, there's something seriously wrong about your thinking.  I'd love to find out Mr. Hater and/or his baby were in the hospital compliments of Medicaid.
It is your right to refuse service. No one should be forced to be cared by someone they are not comfortable with.
We all have a choice on who will and will NOT be allowed to provide our personal medical care. While I personally would have wanted the most qualified helping me I feel that it is his choice and the hospital should respect his wishes.
What's the problem with Dad's request? We have all black clubs, caucus, scholarships, etc etc. Do away with the NAACP, and the hypocriticalness of the use of the "N word". One can't get equal rights if they continue to do things to push themselves farther from equality. Anyone hear of Black Expo in Indianapolis? Plus, here is a question. If a Muslim family demanded only Muslims work on their child, would there be an "outrage"?
Here's the problem with your logic Roger; White people weren't hunted down, shackled, beaten, killed, starved, packed into boats like sardines in a can..sailed thousands of miles from their homes, so they could be mistreated for the rest of their lives, so a bunch of white guys could get rich. Get it? As far as I'm concerned, if Dark Skin Tone People still harbor ill will, and want to have it both ways, more power to 'em..so there.
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@TheUglyTruth @Sundowner @STDFlorist Your right and during AND after WWII there was segregation in the military, bathrooms, resturants, movie theaters. But hey , revise history as you like !
@TheUglyTruth @STDFlorist Oh, OK.  So in another 20 years we can forget all about it.  Got it and thanks.
In Mauritania which is a predominately black country slavery was outlawed in 2012. Yes you read it correctly 2012. The slaves were black.
200 yrs. ago the blacks in Africa were the sole exporters of their countrymen, whites from the US were not running around Africa like cowboys chasing cattle.
@TheUglyTruth @STDFlorist By that logic, no one should ever bring up the Holocaust, right?  You realize your comments never make sense, don't you?
It isn't ever going to end is it?Â
When will people figure out that skin is just that skin, the outer shell. What matters is what's on the inside! Â
It comes form both sides of the various skin tones :
AAcollege funds, blackTV, black only dating sites etc.. They separate themselves as much as they are separated by racist fools.
The racists do the same- they treat dark skin people as if they're somehow "less than". Â
Jesus was not black, He was not white, He was Just Right!Â
The lawsuit will go nowhere and lead to nothing. It is well within this mans right to be a biggoted, hate-filled, worthless, poor excuse for a human being.
@UselessOpinion Yes very true but his concern could also be from government sponsored racism or affirmative action programs that force schools to graduate and organizations to higher people who may not be qualified just because of their race. Not saying that is the case but it is certainly a concern anytime the rules for hiring are not simply the most qualified person for the job.
Yup. You and your buddies just keep on believing that "intrusive government" claptrap, and no Republican will ever see the inside of the White House again except as a guest. Go for it!
@Mechanic Ah so you would like me to ignore reality to fit your ideological utopia that makes a lot of sense liberal sense...Â
@freedomrocks I've never heard of schools forcibly graduating students who wouldn't otherwise graduate, simply in the name of "affirmative action"
@Sundowner @Janusfree @sargerator @tigress @pdxdÂ
OOOWwwww  I'm tellin'...  :P   LOL
@Janusfree @sargerator @tigress @pdxd Is the "J" in your moniker silent?
@tigress @FreedomRocks @pdxd I thought maybe he knew gilligan and the skipper ????
@Sundowner @tigress @pdxd HSC work for ya......cougar? It's available, for a small finder's fee.
@tigress @pdxd Personally, I like people to address me as "Hot Sexy Cougar"....so far I can count on less than one finger how many are using the term, but I'm still hopeful.Â
@FreedomRocks @pdxd FreedomRocks - professor, eh? George Fox? Oral Roberts U? Brigham Young U? What was the population of nonwhites where you were a "professor"....could you count them on one hand? Personally, I like people to address me as "The Admiral", so I get where you're coming from, "Professor". Wink!
@freedomrocks I'm assuming you're no longer in the educational profession? Is this for obvious reasons, or are they more obscure?
@FreedomRocks @pdxdÂ
HA ! professor HA ! I suppose you built a car to go back to the future too !
BS, start to finish, "Professor."
@FreedomRocks@pdxdAffirmative action has nothing to do with revenue, so I'm not understanding how this is relevant. White families can be poor too, so unless you were told specifically not fail minorities then the head of your department was simply protecting his bottom line, nothing more. You may have interpreted this as having racist meaning, but thatâs just your perception.
@pdxd Well having worked as a professor I can tell you I was told by the head of the department not to ever fail any kids because they could not continue to give money to the school if they dropped out. While there was no race mentioned in those comments it was clear that being competent was less of a concern then getting their money.
@FreedomRocks Yeah, I'm sure that's what swastika boy was thinking with his request. Please.Â
@FreedomRocks @UselessOpinion Oh sure -- I'm convinced the idiot had affirmative action programs in mind when he blurted out his hate and venom.  How do you know what the rules for hiring at this hospital are, or are you just assuming that because the hospital employs black nurses they don't hire the most qualified persons for the jobs?  Other than your blatant hatred for just about everything, got anything else to say about this bigoted fool walking amongst us?
@Sundowner @sargerator @FreedomRocks @UselessOpinion Well, I had to just because of the TOTAL ignorance oozing out !
@Sundowner @sargerator @FreedomRocks @UselessOpinion LOL, but chose to anyway? Only in America.
@FreedomRocks @Sundowner @UselessOpinion FreedomRocks, I'm sure you're as "non racist" as you can get, allowing your pasty white girls to play with black friends, you're probably fine with hiring black people to tend to your various needs, too! Why, you're a regular Freedom Fighter! But I'd bet you draw the line at your pasty white daughters dating and god forbid....MARRYING a black dude.Â
@sargerator @FreedomRocks @UselessOpinion Once I saw the "...I have black friends..." comment, I knew it wasn't worth the effort to respond.Â
@FreedomRocks @Sundowner @UselessOpinion
HA ! ....."why I have black friends, my pasty daughters do too"....you and mann coulter right ?? Just goofy !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYDGMt68K6o
@Sundowner@FreedomRocks@UselessOpinionAs I said but you apparently ignored I don't know this exact situation.
 I am as non racist as you can get with black friends and black kids over at the house visiting my pasty white girls on a regular basis. However if I needed skilled medical care I would be concerned having a doctor/nurse that may have obtained his position form affirmative action not their skills and abilities.
Knowing about half a dozen people who have worked in HR for 30 years government sponsored racism is alive and well. They go out of their way to hire and promote in ratio's that meet the government racist requirements.
 Anytime our government tries to control the social outcomes there are always side affects some positive some negative.
Another stupid lawsuit...when will they end.
@sortbait When we throw all the lawyers in the ocean so they can be close to their distant cousins the shark...
@FreedomRocks @sortbait Yeah -- attorneys totally suck....right up until you need one. Â
@Sundowner @FreedomRocks @sortbait Yep ! and , of course , it was ok for the village idiot to have a lawyer to steal the election in 2000, afterall, that was rightous !