Hospital staffer awarded $10M in discrimination, defamation lawsuit
Stanford University and Stanford Health Care have been ordered to pay $10 million to a former employee who alleged a pattern of systemic racism at the health system, including a staffer dressed as a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
The woman who brought the lawsuit, Qiqiuia Young, was a technician who said she witnessed patients being mistreated based on race, in addition to staffers being called racial slurs. Further, when she initially filed her complaint in court, the health system sent out an email disparaging her. She was granted a defamation verdict as part of the $10 million in damages.
The suit was initially filed in 2017. At that time, Young was awarded $20 million in damages by a jury. However, Alameda County Superior Court reduced it to $10 million this month on appeal from Stanford.
In a statement to the media, the health system said the incidents of racism from the lawsuit happened a long time ago. They added that they "respectfully disagree with the jury's verdict and continue to pursue all post judgment remedies."
CBS News Bay Area has the full story. A link is available below.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.