March 14th 2024.
Caleb Ferguson took legal action against his previous employer, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, on March 5. This was due to an upsetting incident where a coworker, who he claims to be racist, named her knitted monkey after him. Unfortunately, Ferguson was fired after he spoke up about this alleged act.
This incident brings attention to the experiences of Black healthcare workers, which was reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE back in February. According to a survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund and African American Research Collaborative, more than half of healthcare workers have faced some form of racial discrimination at UMPC, just like Ferguson.
In March 2023, while working at UMPC in the transport unit, Ferguson noticed a coworker, an older white woman, knitting. He asked her about it, and she revealed that she was making a monkey. She then held it up and claimed it was Ferguson, saying, "Look, it's Caleb." Ferguson was taken aback by this and felt disrespected. He later shared that the woman stood by her actions, making him feel even worse.
Ferguson spoke to his supervisor about the incident, who had also heard the woman's comments. However, to Ferguson's surprise, the supervisor did not support him. Despite Ferguson expressing that the comments were humiliating and that the term "monkey" is a well-known racial slur, nothing was done. Instead, he was told that the woman did not mean any harm.
A few weeks later, on April 2, Ferguson got into a heated disagreement, which his supervisor allegedly escalated. As a result, Ferguson was removed from the premises and later informed of his suspension on April 6. The following Monday, he was fired, which he believes was in retaliation for reporting the incident involving the elderly white coworker.
Ferguson's lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for his termination, which he believes was unjust and retaliatory. He expressed his frustration, saying, "They used that rule to fire me without a real reason so it wouldn't look retaliatory, but I reported the incident to HR on a Friday and was fired the following Monday." This situation serves as a reminder for everyone to be more mindful of their words and actions, especially in 2024. Discrimination and racism have no place in the workplace and must be addressed promptly and appropriately.
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