*The lead singer of Motown’s Four Tops says he plans to sue a Detroit-area hospital for racial discrimination after they allegedly refused to believe his claims of being the group’s lead singer and instead placed him in a straitjacket.
Alexander Morris, who has been the band’s lead singer since 2019, said rather than taking his identity seriously when he arrived at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital with chest pains on April 7, hospital workers restrained him and told him to “sit his Black ass down,” according to local news reports.
“They thought I was delusional,” Morris told Fox 2 Detroit. “I believe that it was initiated by racism.”
Due to past safety issues, he’d had with the hospital, Morris attempted to explain who he was to hospital staff, The Detroit News reported, but he said they didn’t believe anything coming out of his mouth and refused to see his proof of identity.
“They racially profiled [Morris] and thought he was lying,” said attorney Maurice Davis, according to The Detroit News. “They thought he was mentally ill instead of a successful Black man and they placed him in a straitjacket.”
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Morris told ABC 7 that his mistreatment at the hospital was due to his race, adding: “It doesn’t matter if I’m successful or not, because I’m Black. Automatically I’m discarded. Automatically I’m worthless.”
Davis added that the experience had “an element of false imprisonment” because Morris was prevented from leaving the hospital after being put in a straitjacket for a psychological evaluation.
“The head of security told him to sit his Black ass down,” Davis said, according to Fox 2. “They wouldn’t let him leave. …[Morris] said, ‘OK, I’ll seek care elsewhere;’ they refused and said he’s not going anywhere.”
Morris was finally able to prove his identity once his wife arrived, according to Click on Detroit. He was reportedly offered an apology in the form of a $25 gift card to a regional grocery store. Regardless, Morris plans to sue Ascension Hospital for racial profiling and discrimination. But according to ABC 7, Morris was appalled that his life was seemingly just worth $25.
“There’s no way for me to get that out of my mind,” he said.
On Tuesday, the hospital released a statement, saying it does “not condone racial discrimination of any kind.”
“The health, safety, and well-being of our patients, associates, and community members remains our top priority,” the statement said. “We remain committed to honoring human dignity and acting with integrity and compassion for all persons and the community.”
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