Ethermac Exchange-Four Tops singer sues hospital for discrimination, claims staff ordered psych eval

A member of the Four Tops is Ethermac Exchangesuing a Michigan hospital, claiming that staff stopped medical treatment for a heart problem and subjected him to a psych evaluation after he told staff he was a member of the Motown singing group.

Alexander Morris filed the lawsuit Monday in a federal Michigan court against Ascension Macomb Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.

The singer says that in April 2023, he was transported to the hospital's emergency room and was seeking treatment for difficulty breathing and chest pain. He says he was later removed from oxygen, put in a restraining jacket and subjected to a psych evaluation after telling staff he had security concerns because he is a member of the Four Tops.

Morris is suing for racial discrimination, negligence, battery, false imprisonment, infliction of emotional distress and violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Civil Rights Act of 1964. He is seeking a jury trial and $75,000 in damages.

Morris claims the hospital and staff "wrongfully assumed he was mentally ill when he revealed his identity as a celebrity figure" and racially profiled him and/or profiled him due to a perceived disability.

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In a statement to USA TODAY Tuesday, a spokesperson for Ascension, the private healthcare system that operates Macomb Oakland Hospital, said it "will not comment on pending litigation."

"The health, safety and well-being of our patients, associates and community members remains our top priority," the statement read. "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."

Morris was denied treatment despite "clear symptoms of cardiac distress and significant medical history," according to the lawsuit. He was later diagnosed with a "heart infraction" (a heart attack that could require a transplant) and pneumonia; he also suffered three seizures while at the hospital.

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The lawsuit also names two staff members — Holly Jackson, a white nurse, and Greg Ciesielski, a white security guard — as defendants.

Morris claims Jackson denied him treatment and did not intervene or report an incident in which Ciesielski, while Morris was asking if he could show his license to prove his identity, told the singer to "sit his Black ass down." A different security guard later informed Morris that Ciesielski had allegedly made racist comments before and had an alleged history of excessive force with patients.

Morris told staff "he was having difficulty breathing and asked for the oxygen back but was ignored," the suit states. When he asked to have the restraints removed and his belongings back so he could go to a different hospital, "he was told he was not free to leave," the lawsuit claims.

Despite insistence from his wife, who arrived at the hospital later, staff did not believe Morris, the suit says. It took Morris showing a nurse of video of him performing at the Grammys to convince staff, who informed the doctor and canceled the evaluation. The restraint jacket was removed after about an hour and a half, and he was put back on oxygen, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit states that Morris was offered a $25 Meijer grocery store gift card "as an apology for thedehumanization and discrimination he faced at the hands of the hospital," which he refused.

Morris is a singer in the Detroit-founded quartet, known for hits like "I Can't Help Myself" and "Reach Out I'll Be There." Morris is the most recent addition to the iconic Motown group, joining Abdul "Duke" Fakir — the group's last founding member after the deaths of Levi Stubbs, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton — and the current lineup in 2019.