Mosley & Associates: COVID-19 Positive Nurse Files Lawsuit Against Kaiser for Racial and Disability Discrimination
Front Line Worker Fired After Working In An Unsafe Working Environment
OAKLAND, Calif., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mr. Courtney Jackson, a traveling nurse and surgical technician, was fired by Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa when he contracted COVID-19 while working at the hospital. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Mr. Jackson was hired by Kaiser and was the only African-American traveling Operating Room nurse. During his first week of work, Kaiser refused to allow nurses to change their N95 masks throughout the day, increasing the likelihood of contamination. Mr. Jackson complained of this policy, but they would not change it even though the hospital was treating known-COVID patients from the Grand Princess cruise ship docked in Oakland, CA.
A few weeks later, Mr. Jackson experienced symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Kaiser refused to test him and would not change its mask policy. Mr. Jackson was required to keep working despite suffering high fever, body pains and fatigue. During his lunch breaks, he would lay down in a private area. His supervisors made jokes, labeled him "lazy," and other cultural stereotypes.
The following week, Jackson was finally allowed to test for COVID-19 when he vomited over himself at the hospital. Kaiser, who required that he test in their facility, then fired him when they confirmed he contracted the Coronavirus.
"Experiencing COVID-19 and getting fired from my job all in the same week was the one of the toughest things I have ever had to deal with in my life and that was on top of the discrimination I received from Kaiser. I felt abandoned, deserted and unappreciated. I experienced racism at its highest. I was working for a facility that didn't care for their employees that were on the front lines helping all of the sick people."
Kaiser discriminated against Mr. Jackson because of his race and because he contracted coronavirus, likely due to their irresponsible mask policy.
Mr. Jackson filed his lawsuit against Kaiser in Alameda County.
Courtney Jackson is represented by Walter Mosley and Nathalie Meza Contreras of Mosley & Associates. Mr. Mosley's brother is a leading interventional cardiologist for Kaiser.
Mosley & Associates is a victim's rights law firm in Los Angeles, CA. Walter Mosley, a Harvard Law School graduate, has been successfully representing clients for 15 years in California and New York. For more information www.waltermosleyesq.com
Contact: Echo Hattix, [email protected]
SOURCE Mosley & Associates
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