The lead singer of the Four Tops said a Detroit-area hospital restrained him and ordered a psychological exam after refusing to believe that he was part of the Motown music group.
Alexander Morris, who is Black, filed a lawsuit Monday against Ascension Macomb-Oakland hospital in Warren, alleging racial discrimination and other misconduct during an April 2023 visit for chest pain and breathing problems.
Hospital staff “wrongfully assumed he was mentally ill when he revealed his identity as a celebrity figure”, the lawsuit says. He told them he “had current security concerns due to stalkers and fans”.
The Four Tops started in the 1950s and had hits such as I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) and It’s The Same Old Song. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Morris is not an original member, but he joined the group in 2019.
Despite him having an ID that “could easily” have identified him as a singer, he was “placed into a restraining jacket”. He claims that he was “falsely imprisoned and deprived of his personal property”. The lawsuit says a nurse finally believed Morris was in the Four Tops and the psychological exam was canceled.
The hospital offered a $25 gift card as an apology, but Morris refused to accept it, the lawsuit says.
“We remain committed to honoring human dignity and acting with integrity and compassion for all persons and the community,” the hospital said in response to the lawsuit. “We do not condone racial discrimination of any kind. We will not comment on pending litigation.”
Morris talked publicly about the incident last year, saying he had returned to Detroit, his hometown, and was “being told that I’m insane or schizophrenic”.