Not allowed to touch the babies cause we're black

I reported my supervisor for using slang ratial remarks about me and my co-workers. We work in a hospital department of about 16 employees. It is our everyday duties to draw blood on our patients. We all had to be trained to draw blood from the new born babies. We were all trained to do so and we did this as part of out jobs, when the supervisor came in one day and said that he only wanted 2 people to draw the babies. Two of which were his "favorites". Apparently a babies mother complained on my friend cause she made her baby cry(which is typical for the procedure and new mothers) I over heard my supervisor telling his favorites that they were the only two who were allowed to touch the babies that he didn't want my friend to because he don't her big fat nigger ass to scare the babies. The same supervisor called me a wet-back straight to my face in the presence of another employee. I'm native american not hispanic. What rights do we employees have to make this harassment stop. I have been terminated since then for reporting my supervisor but i want to help my co-workers who still have to deal with this behavior every day.

1 answer  |  asked Jul 9, 2003 01:12 AM [EST]  |  applies to Texas

Answers (1)

Margaret A. Harris
Publicity Would Help

Call your local chapter of the NAACP, MALDEF, the ACLU, and other organizations that stand up against discrimination. They will help you get some publicity. Call a local reporter. Based on another posting you made, you need to be honest about the mistake in the labeling, though -- or else the reporter will think you are making up the other stuff. As soon as the reporter calls the hospital, its spokesperson could say that you were terminated for making a mistake that could have seriously impacted someone's health. Trust the hospital to blow your simple mistake out of proportion. To make sure that the reporter does not trash your story before it's ever printed, be up front about why you were fired. Be prepared to give the reporter the names and phone numbers of other employees who can back up your story. Better yet, have those folks with you when you meet with the reporter.

posted by Margaret A. Harris  |  Jul 9, 2003 12:31 PM [EST]

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