DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — A nurse is suing a Michigan hospital for allegedly honoring a patient’s request to not be cared for by a black woman.
Teoka Williams filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn. She alleges that the health system violated federal and state civil rights laws by barring her from caring for a patient because of her race.
Beaumont Hospital declined to comment on pending litigation but says it prioritizes providing safe environments free from discrimination.
Williams says she overhead a patient in October 2017 request to not have a black woman as a caregiver. She says her clinical manager restricted her from caring for the patient after she reported the comment.
Williams’ attorney, Julie Gafkay, says the lawsuit is “about how the health system accommodated racism.”
