South Jersey Employment Lawyers: NJ Hospital Accused of Race Discrimination
June 6, 2016A former medical assistant at Bergen Regional Medical Center recently filed a lawsuit against the hospital. The man claims that he was fired in retaliation for complaining about a pattern of racial discrimination against patients and employees.
The medical assistant was employed by the hospital for two years in the detox unit. Patients were not permitted to “walk-in” for treatment after 12:00 p.m. However, the plaintiff alleges that white patients were permitted to walk in after this time while minority patients were turned away. He also claims that white patients who brought drugs or contraband into the unit were treated more favorably by his white supervisor than minority patients who committed the same infraction.
The lawsuit alleges that on one occasion the employee’s supervisor refused to admit a patient solely because they did not speak English. He claims that he spoke up several times about the disparate treatment he witnessed while working at the hospital.
Further, the plaintiff claims that the hospital also discriminated against employees. He claims that they immediately terminated an African-American nurse who came to work intoxicated, but allowed a white nurse who did the same to keep her job. Allegedly, only white nurses were trained to be in charge of shifts, and nurses that failed to arrive on time or left early were only disciplined if they were minorities.
Shortly after the worker complained about the alleged discrimination, he was fired. The hospital claims that he was fired for arriving late, but the plaintiff has argued that he was wrongfully terminated because he was a minority and because he spoke out about the hospital’s hostile work environment.
The ex-employee filed a lawsuit against the hospital in February of this year, alleging violations of discrimination and whistleblower laws and seeking unspecified damages. The lawsuit also alleges that the hospital’s policy requiring employees to speak English is illegal and calls for it to be overturned, citing claims that it was enforced even when patients were not present.
South Jersey Race Discrimination Lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates Fight for Victims Who Have Been Discriminated Against at Work
If you have been terminated or treated unfairly at work and you suspect race discrimination, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced South Jersey employment discrimination lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates can help you hold your employer responsible for their unlawful actions, and prevent others from suffering the same treatment. To discuss your case, call us at 215-569-1999 or complete our online contact form today. With offices conveniently located in Center City Philadelphia, we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.