Four Tops singer claims racist treatment in hospital

Wchicken Alexander Morris, member of the Motown group The Four Tops, who visited an Ascension hospital in the Detroit area with chest pain and difficulty breathing, said staff assumed he was mentally ill after he told them he was a famous singer. Instead of treating Morris, a white security guard told him to “sit his black ass down” and placed him in a straitjacket, Morris alleges in a new lawsuit.

Morris is suing Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan over his treatment in April 2023, alleging racial discrimination and false imprisonment, among other charges. The federal lawsuitfiled Monday in the Eastern District of Michigan, names as defendants the hospital, a nurse and a security guard involved in the incident.

In a statement, Ascension said it would not comment on pending litigation. “We remain committed to honoring human dignity and acting with integrity and compassion for all individuals and the community,” the system said. “We do not tolerate any form of racial discrimination.”

Morris described the experience as “terrifying” in a statement released by his lawyers.

“I see all these posts on social media like ‘driving while black,’ ‘walking while black,’ but I never thought I would be a victim of ‘being sick while black,’” Morris said . “The hospital never fired the security guard who told me to sit my black ass down. It is clear that they tolerate racism. I filed the lawsuit to hold the hospital accountable for the way I was treated and to protect younger generations from racism in healthcare.”

The staff members named as defendants are security guard Greg Ciesielski and nurse Holly Jackson. The lawsuit does not mention that Ciesielski, the guard who allegedly made the racist comments, died in September 2023. GoFundMe page According to his family, Ciesielski suffered a ruptured aorta, leaving a wife and two adult children. Messages to his wife were not returned. Jackson could not be reached for comment. The ER doctor who treated Morris is not named as a defendant.

Neither of Morris’ attorneys, Maurice Davis of Southfield, Michigan, or Jasmine Rand of Miami, Florida, responded to questions about the fact that either of the defendants had died.

The Four Tops are a Grammy Award-nominated singing group from Detroit who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. She is known for hits such as “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Reach I’ll Be There.” At the time of the incident, The Four Tops were on a national tour with The Temptations and had recently performed at the Grammy Awards.

Morris has a significant history of heart problems, including the placement of stents and a defibrillator. He was transported to the emergency room by ambulance on April 7, 2023 and was already receiving oxygen. Towards the end of his hospitalization, he would be diagnosed with a heart attack, which may require a heart transplant and pneumonia. He also suffered three seizures during his hospital stay, according to the lawsuit.

When he arrived at the ER, Morris told a nurse and a security guard that he was a member of The Four Tops and that he was concerned about safety from stalkers and fans. According to Morris’ complaint, shortly after checking in, he explained his medical history to an emergency room doctor and told him about his current symptoms.

When he shared his celebrity status, Morris claims the ER doctor assumed he was mentally ill. He removed Morris’ oxygen and ordered a psychological evaluation “despite his obvious symptoms of cardiac problems and significant medical history,” according to the complaint.

While this was happening, Morris explained to the staff around him, including the nurse and security guard, that he had ID and could show them who he was. Instead, the guard told him to “sit his black ass down.” According to Morris’ lawsuit, the comment was made in front of at least four staff members, but none intervened to stop the assault. To his knowledge, none of them reported the use of racial slurs to a supervisor.

“Additionally, none of the nursing staff thought to simply ask for Plaintiff’s identification,” the complaint states.

While in the security jacket, Morris allegedly told staff he was having trouble breathing and asked for the oxygen back. He said he was ignored. Morris then asked to have the jacket removed and his belongings returned so he could leave and go to another hospital. According to his lawsuit, he was told he could not leave. His medical condition deteriorated. Several guards were said to have been called to ensure that he could not leave.

Eventually, Morris’ wife showed up and saw what happened. She told a security guard that he was actually a member of The Four Tops, but the security guard reportedly left the restraints on and continued to deny Morris medical treatment. Eventually, a nurse came to Morris’s side, and Morris asked if he could show her a video of him performing at the Grammy Awards. She realized he was actually a member of the group and told the doctor, who said he canceled the psychological evaluation. Staff removed the straitjacket and placed Morris back on oxygen.

According to Morris’ lawsuit, he was held for about 90 minutes. He was offered a $25 Meijer gift card as an apology, but he declined.

In addition to racial discrimination and false imprisonment, Morris’ lawsuit also alleges gross negligence, negligence, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This story has been updated to include efforts to reach staff members named in the lawsuit.