An African-American nurse claims that a Michigan hospital agreed to a man's request that no black nurses care for his newborn.
Forty-nine-year-old Tonya Battle tells the Detroit Free Press she "didn't even know how to react" when she learned about the request from the father in October at Hurley Medical Center in Flint. The Flint Journal reports Battle sued last month in Genesee Circuit Court.
In a statement Monday, Hurley said it "does not comment on past or current litigation."
Battle's lawsuit claims a note was posted on an assignment clipboard reading "No African American nurse to take care of baby." She says that later was removed, but claims black nurses weren't assigned to care for the baby for about a month because of their race.
Battle wants punitive damages.
