Four Tops member sues Warren hospital over alleged racial profiling – Macomb Daily

Lina Portman7 days ago

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Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital, Warren Campus. (ARCHIVE PHOTO)

The Four Tops lead singer has sued a Warren hospital over claims he was treated as a psychiatric patient because of his race when he went to a Warren hospital emergency room with heart problems.

Alexander Morris, 63, of Southfield, sued Ascension Macomb Oakland Hospital on 12 Mile Road last month in U.S. District Court in Detroit over the April 7, 2023, incident at the hospital.

Morris says he went to the emergency room with chest pain and difficulty breathing and informed staff he was the lead singer of the Four Tops. But instead of treating him, staff disbelieved him, racially profiled him, delayed treatment and put him in a straitjacket, he claims.

Morris claims he was “denied medical care for his bona fide medical emergency and was misdiagnosed and mistreated because of his race, and/or his true diagnosis was delayed, he was subjected to differential treatment because of his race, and his medical condition was aggravated and/or exacerbated due to racial discrimination,” according to the complaint filed on his behalf by attorney Maurice Davis.

Morris went public with his allegations shortly after the incident and vowed to pursue legal action.

“I almost didn’t make it home that day,” Morris told the Macomb Daily at the time. “I have a wife and I’m a father of two daughters. I was a father long before I was a Four Top. I wonder how many other people who don’t have a voice have gone through this. It wasn’t fair, no matter what my status was. If I’m brought in and I’m sick, that should be their first priority. Damage has been done because of their reckless actions.”

Alexander Morris of Four Peaks

The eight-count complaint alleges racial bias in violation of his equal treatment under the law and his civil rights by the hospital, negligence and gross negligence by a nurse, a security guard and the hospital, unlawful confinement, battery and intentional abuse by a security guard and the hospital, and a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act by the hospital.

Morris says in the complaint that upon entering, he “informed a nurse and a security guard that he was a member of the famous Motown group, the 'Four Tops,' and that he was currently having security issues due to harassers and fans.”

He also told medical staff that he was on oxygen and had a known history of heart disease, including stents and a defibrillator, the lawsuit says.

A doctor, nurse and security guard did not believe he was a member of the Four Tops and “profiled him racially and/or based on a perceived disability,” the complaint says. The doctor withdrew his oxygen and decided to “proceed with a psychiatric evaluation instead, despite his obvious symptoms of cardiac distress and extensive medical history,” the complaint says.

“The plaintiff had valid identification on his person and could have easily been identified as the lead singer of the Four Tops,” the complaint states. “At the time of the incident, the Four Tops were on a national tour with the Temptations and had recently performed at the Grammy Awards.”

A security officer placed him in “a restraint vest and/or four-point restraint, removed his personal belongings and (Morris) was informed that he was going to undergo a 'psychological evaluation' or psychological examination.”

He was referred to another doctor.

When Morris asked to show his ID, “the white security guard ordered him to ‘sit down, being a black man.’ No nursing staff intervened to stop the racial discrimination and mistreatment of the plaintiff,” the complaint states. At least one and as many as four medical staff members witnessed the security guard’s remark, the complaint states.

Morris said his request to leave so he could seek treatment at another hospital was denied.

“He was wrongfully imprisoned and deprived of his personal property,” the complaint states. “During this time, his health continued to deteriorate and he was denied the medical treatment he desperately needed.”

He eventually convinced a nurse of his identity after showing her a video of himself performing. The restraint vest was removed and he began receiving oxygen again.

He said he was diagnosed with heart failure, which may require a heart transplant, as well as pneumonia, and suffered three seizures during his 90-minute stay.

He refused to accept a $25 gift card as an apology “for the dehumanization and discrimination he suffered at the hands of the hospital,” he said.

Ascension has not yet responded to the complaint but said in a statement last year: “The health, safety and well-being of our patients, associates and community members remain our top priority. We remain committed to respecting human dignity and acting with integrity and compassion for all individuals and the community. We do not tolerate racial discrimination of any kind.”

Morris, aka “Lex,” joined the Four Tops in 2019 and tours with original member Duke Fakir, 88, as well as Ronnie McNeir and Lawrence “Roquel” Payton Jr., son of original member Lawrence Payton.

The band performed with The Temptations last October at the Fox Theatre.

The Four Tops include Alexander Morris, second from left, and Lawrence Ronnie McNeir, from left, Lawrence “Roquel” Payton Jr., Ronnie McNeir and Duke Fakir. FACEBOOK PHOTO