The hospital attempted to make amends by offering him a gift card, which he rejected.
A member of legendary Motown Records group The Four Tops has filed a lawsuit against a Michigan hospital. He claims the hospital subjected him to racial profiling and attempted to force him to undergo a psych evaluation.
On Monday (June 10), Alexander Morris, lead singer of the quartet, filed a complaint in Michigan federal court, which stems from a visit to the Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital’s emergency room in April 2023.
According to the filing, Morris and his representatives are accusing security and medical staff at the hospital with deeming him “deluded” upon revealing his “identity as a celebrity figure” while being treated for difficulty with breathing and chest pain.
“Plaintiff had a valid identification on his person and could easily have been identified as a singer in the Four Tops group,” attorneys for Morris’ told Billboard in a statement. “Defendant hospital… blatantly refused to provide plaintiff with medical treatment due to his race and/or perceived mental disability.”
Upon identifying himself as a public figure to medical staff, Morris was allegedly removed from oxygen support and set to undergo a psychological evaluation despite the singer showing “clear symptoms of cardiac distress.” Morris also claims that upon revealing his identity, a Caucasian security guard is alleged to have told the singer to “sit his Black a** down” before forcefully restraining him.
It wasn’t until Morris’ wife arrived at the hospital and showed a nurse footage of Morris performing alongside his groupmates at the Grammy Awards that the hospital called off the proposed psychiatric evaluation, with Morris insisting that his “health should’ve been first.”
The singer was later diagnosed with a heart infraction and discharged, with the hospital attempting to atone for their treatment of Morris by offering him a gift card, which he ultimately rejected. “Plaintiff was offered a $25.00 gift card to Meijers as an apology for the dehumanization and discrimination he faced at the hands of the hospital,” the crooner’s attorneys revealed. “He refused to accept the gift card.”
Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital has since released a statement seemingly addressing Morris’ allegations. The health, safety and well-being of our patients, associates and community members remains our top priority,” the spokesperson said.
“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.”
The Four Tops were founded in the 1950s as Four Aims, with original members Levi Stubbs, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton performing as a full unit for more than 40 years. Alexander Morris joined The Four Tops in 2019, the group’s most recent addition to it’s revamped lineup, which currently consists of one original member, Abdul “Duke” Fakir.