Alexander Morris alleges racial profiling led to him being restrained and treated for mental illness instead of a heart emergency.
Alexander Morris, the lead singer of the Four Tops, has filed a lawsuit against Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan, claiming racial discrimination after he was restrained in a straitjacket and subjected to a psychiatric evaluation. Morris, 53, a member of the iconic Motown group since 2018, sought medical attention at the hospital on April 7, 2023, due to symptoms of cardiac distress, including chest pain and difficulty breathing.
Despite his known medical history, which included heart disease and the placement of stents and a defibrillator, Morris was not believed when he informed hospital staff that he was a member of the Four Tops. According to the lawsuit, Morris told a nurse and a security guard about security concerns related to stalkers and fans, but they dismissed his statements, assuming he was mentally ill. Instead of focusing on his urgent medical needs, the hospital staff ordered a psychological evaluation.
Morris alleges that hospital staff’s racial profiling led to him being wrongfully restrained and placed in a straitjacket for over an hour, during which his oxygen was turned off and his personal effects were confiscated. The lawsuit accuses the hospital, the nurse, and the security guard of negligence, racial discrimination, battery, and emotional distress. Morris describes the experience as terrifying, stating, “Racial profiling nearly cost me my life.”
Despite the misdiagnosis, Morris was later diagnosed with a heart infarction that may require a transplant, as well as pneumonia and three seizures. He claims that his treatment was delayed due to staff’s refusal to acknowledge his true identity and medical condition. The complaint also describes a disturbing encounter where a white security guard told Morris to “sit his Black ass down” after he asked to prove his identity, but none of the nursing staff intervened.
The lawsuit highlights the distressing intersection of healthcare, race, and celebrity, with Morris arguing that his medical emergency was mishandled because of racial bias.