Alexander Morris, lead singer of Motown group Four Tops, plans to sue hospital for racial discrimination
WARREN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The lead singer of the legendary Motown group the Four Tops says he is planning to file a lawsuit against a Metro Detroit hospital for racial discrimination.
Alexander Morris accuses Ascension Oakland-Macomb Hospital of putting him in a straitjacket with plans for a psych evaluation after he said they accused him of lying about his identity.
"The shock I think was my first feeling," Morris said.
The incident in question happened on April 7 when Morris mentioned concerns for his safety, notifying hospital staff he was a member of the legendary group.
Morris was taken to the hospital due to heart complications. He said hospital staff stopped his treatment when questioning who he was.
"He had his I.D. with him. They didn't believe he was a member of the Four Tops," said Maurice Davis, Morris' attorney. "They didn't believe he was the lead singer of the Four Tops. They believed he was insane for saying something like that."
Morris said it took his wife to verify his identity to end the hours-long ordeal. He said he even suffered seizures during his stay at the hospital, which lasted several days after the incident.
To add insult to injury, Morris said the hospital offered him a $25 gift card from Meijer for the inconvenience.
"I came in with chest pains, couldn't breathe for a history of cardiomyopathy. Because you refuse to take two minutes to verify my identity, you stop my treatment, roll me in the hall and set me to go into psych. That's a little bit much for me. My health should've been first," Morris said.
Morris and Davis said they plan to file a lawsuit against the hospital over what they believe was racial discrimination.
They're also calling for all hospital staff involved in the incident to be fired.
In response to the allegations, the hospital sent this statement:
The health, safety and well-being of our patients, associates and community members remains our top priority. We remain committed to honoring human dignity and acting with integrity and compassion for all persons and the community. We do not condone racial discrimination of any kind. We are unable to provide details on cases under investigation.
Morris' attorney says he plans to file the lawsuit in federal court in the coming weeks.