Former county jail nurses file whistleblower’s lawsuit

Two former nurses at Wayne County’s Dickerson Jail have filed a whistleblower’s lawsuit alleging mishandling of medicine and a host of other issues. The jail has been rocked with allegations of sexual assaults of juveniles being housed there.

By Charles Sercombe
Allegations of wrongdoing keep piling up at Wayne County’s Dickerson Jail here in Hamtramck.
In the latest development, two former nurse employees, Tanzy Huddleston and Shermanstine Morrow, have filed a whistleblower’s lawsuit claiming that the facility allowed outdated prescription drugs to be given to juveniles, and also noted:
• blatant violations of HIPAA laws
• broken medical devices
• insufficient resources
• inadequate medical supplies
• glaring security issues, with medications left unsecured
• the defying of basic safety protocols
According to the lawsuit, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, “the nurses assert that the management’s lax oversight opened the floodgates to fraudulent practices, theft, and the increased vulnerability of the already at-risk youth.”
In a press release issued by the attorney for the nurses, Huddleston said she was “an eyewitness to a life-threatening emergency, recounts a harrowing incident where a young inmate struggled to breathe and complained of chest pains.
“Shockingly, the nursing staff callously ignored the situation, forcing Huddleston to step in to provide life-saving care. Instead of reprimanding the negligent staff, the facility turned a blind eye, callously putting the lives of the young inmates at risk.”
As for Morrow, she said there is “a sinister culture of fear within the facility, where inmates were afraid to take their prescribed medication due to threats. Morrow’s attempt to intervene in a potential assault on a young inmate fell on deaf ears, leading to the child harming himself in desperation to escape the unit.”
Both nurses had started their jobs this year, and began alerting their supervisors of the shortcomings soon after they were hired.
They claim a doctor overseeing them “weaponized” their employee evaluations, which led to the nurses losing their jobs.
The Review reached out to the office of Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington, but his office did not respond.
The county has come under criticism for alleged sexual assaults involving juvenile inmates, along with a host of other problems that critics say go back to the 1990s.
The two nurses are seeking legal fees and financial compensation.
The jail has been a major revenue source for the city, generating about $1 million a year in payment in lieu of property taxes.
It’s believed that the county will no longer use this facility once its new jail, located just outside of Hamtramck off of I-75, has completed construction. If that happens, the city will lose that $1 million a year revenue, which would be a huge financial hit.
Posted Dec. 15, 2023