The lead singer of the Four Tops has filed a lawsuit against a Detroit-area hospital for racial discrimination. He alleges that the hospital staff put him in a restraining jacket and requested a psychiatric evaluation because they did not believe he was a public figure.
Alexander Morris, a member of the iconic Motown group since 2018, claims that he was admitted to Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan, on April 7, 2023, due to cardiac distress. In the emergency room, he informed a nurse and a security guard, who are both defendants in the lawsuit, about his position in the Four Tops due to security concerns about stalkers and fans.
The Four Tops, known for hits like “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” were on a national tour with the Temptations and had recently performed at the Grammy Awards when Morris was hospitalized at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital.
However, Morris, who is Black, alleges that the nurse, a White security guard, and a White emergency room doctor doubted his affiliation with the group. He claims that they racially profiled him and unfairly assumed he was mentally ill, leading to a psychiatric evaluation instead of the necessary medical treatment.
Morris, who had a history of cardiac issues, including stents and a defibrillator, alleges that he was taken off oxygen against medical advice. The staff then placed him in a restraining jacket, removed his belongings, and refused to release him, leading to a decline in his medical condition.
It was only after a nurse verified Morris’ identity as a member of the Four Tops by watching a video of their Grammy Awards performance that the psychiatric evaluation was canceled.
According to the lawsuit, Morris endured 90 minutes of restraint without oxygen and was later diagnosed with heart infarction, pneumonia, and seizures during his hospitalization. Despite the hospital’s offer of a $25 gift card as an apology, Morris declined and brought forward claims of racial discrimination, civil rights violation, negligence, and other offenses, seeking damages of over $75,000.
The hospital responded to the lawsuit by affirming its commitment to dignity and integrity, stating that they do not tolerate racial discrimination and refraining from commenting further on the case.
