ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Morgan & Morgan has filed a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against Putnam Community Medical Center on behalf of a terminated nurse, the law firm announced Wednesday.
The lawsuit alleges that Putnam Community Medical Center terminated Lamour Rowe, a 32-year-old African-American Registered Nurse, after she used a technique known as a “nipple twist” on a non-responsive patient in order to test the patient’s level of consciousness.
The patient, a white female, later made a complaint about medical treatment around Aug.14, 2017. After the complaint, the hospital suspended Rowe without pay, pending an investigation.
On Sept.14, 2017, the hospital terminated Rowe for allegedly violating "applicable standards of care," the lawsuit states.
A nurse supervisor who is a white female had instructed Rowe to use that technique and had allegedly used it on other patients, but was never fired or disciplined in any way, according to lawsuit.
PCMC also filed a complaint against Rowe with the Florida Board of Nursing.
The complaint alleges that Rowe was not disciplined for her use of the “nipple twist” technique.
After being fired, Rowe submitted her case to the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The EEOC found that the hospital violated Title VII in their firing of Rowe.
Authorities say it is extremely rare for the EEOC to respond to a case and rarer still for the EEOC to find cause of violation.
Below is a statement from Morgan & Morgan attorneys John Morgan and Thomas Dickens:
“The lawsuit alleges that Putnam Community Medical Center discriminated and retaliated against Ms. Lamour Rowe, an African-American Registered Nurse, for using the same medical procedure as a white female employee, simply because she was Black. Their alleged discrimination caused Ms. Rowe severe emotional consequences and loss of employment and wages, and we will work to hold Putnam Community Medical Center accountable to the full extent of the law.”