(WXYZ) — A current member of Motown group the Four Tops is preparing to file a lawsuit against Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren over the alleged mistreatment and racial discrimination he faced while in their care.
Alexander Morris says he went to Ascension Hospital on April 7. While there he claims that staff denied who he was and even put him in a straight jacket.
"It doesn't matter if I'm successful or not, because I'm black. Then, automatically I'm discarded. Automatically I'm worthless," Morris said.
Alexander Morris, who joined Motown sensation The Four Tops as the new lead singer in late 2018, says when he told staff at Ascension who he was, his care stopped.
According to Morris, a security guard had him put in a straight jacket and informed Morris he’d be getting a psych evaluation.
"At that point, he told me, 'No, what you're going to do is lay your black [redacted] on that gurney or you're going to be restrained,'" Morris said.
"He could have potentially passed as a result of their waiting 3 hours from the moment he arrived to providing him with any type of treatment," Morris' attorney Maurice Davis said.
Morris, who had heart surgery two years ago, was brought by ambulance here for a medical emergency, nothing psych-related. He says eventually, when he showed a nurse photos of him performing, care resumed.
According to Morris, who spent 5 days here with pneumonia in both lungs, the hospital gave him a $25 Meijer gift card, as an apology for the mix-up.
"To know that as a black man, my life equated to $25 dollars to Meijers, there's no way for me to get that out of my mind," Maurice Davis said.
Morris is planning to file a lawsuit alleging general negligence, medical malpractice, and false imprisonment.
In a statement, Ascensions Michigan said,“We do not condone racial discrimination of any kind. We are unable to provide details on cases under investigation."
