Detroit Dental Worker Harassed at Work, Fired Following HIV Diagnosis
As 2011 draws to a close, a few news items have us wondering if people have forgotten what year it is. Case in point: the appalling (and most-likely illegal) treatment of an HIV-positive Detroit dental worker (via Towleroad).
POZ reported earlier this month that after James White, a 26-year-old former employee of Great Expressions Dental Centers, disclosed his HIV status to the office manage in confidence (to explain why he had too take time off for so many medical appointment), he was harassed by his coworkers and eventually fired:
“I told her I had tested positive for HIV; I thought it would be easier for me in the long run,” White says. “I asked her not to say anything to anyone.”
Days later, the company’s regional director called White into his office.
“He said, ‘I hear you have AIDS,’” White says the doctor said to him. White says he explained that he was HIV positive, to which the doctor replied that there was no difference between HIV and AIDS. “He then said it was OK because I did not work in back with the patients.”
And thus began what White says was a seven month decline into hell that “degraded me as a person.”
He says he was prohibited from touching doorknobs in the office. Staff members followed him around with Lysol, spraying and wiping down the surfaces he touched. He was subjected to unexpected changes in his schedule—called and told to come in later than scheduled, or to leave earlier than expected. When he complied with the scheduling offers, he was written up for unexcused absences.
After months of this, he said he was overwhelmed.
His health took a turn for the worse, and he was hospitalized for a week. During that time, the clinic decided to fire him. They called him the day before he was to return to work and informed him that he was fired for excessive unexcused absences.
Fortunately, White got the go-ahead from the Detroit office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to sue on the grounds he was unlawfully discriminated against per the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Great Expressions denies any wrongdoing and has rejected an agreement settlement offered by the EEOC, which included more than $140,000 in compensatory damages and $45,000 in punitive damages as well as a requirement to train staff on HIV and the ADA.
White’s lawyer, Nicole Thompson, said White has been traumatized by the ordeal:
Thompson notes he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and White himself says he continues to see mental health professionals weekly to address his concerns. He still has trouble going into public places. For example, White says he “blacks out” when he goes to the grocery store and doesn’t remember being there. Right before the blackouts, White says, he feels like people are following him around and sanitizing everything he touches or that people are talking about him.
“We have the right to sue letter from the EEOC, and we expect to file something in the federal court by the holidays,” Thompson said. “We’re in it for the long haul. If we have to take it all the way to trial, we will take it all the way to trial.”
Meanwhile, White’s supporters are trying to pressure Great Expressions via a Change.org petition. The first petition (which had garnered more than 35,000 signatures) was apparently removed after the company threatened to sue the person who posted it. A second petition is up here. Sign it to bring Great Expression back to the present.
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A Statement from Todd Gustke,
Vice President of Human Resources
Great Expressions Dental Centers
Great Expressions takes pride in being an equal opportunity employer – not just in adherence to the law, but because we believe it makes us a better company. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at Great Expressions Dental Centers are based on merit, qualifications and abilities.
Recently, numerous public and false allegations have been made in an online campaign seeking to paint Great Expressions Dental Centers in a negative light. This malicious campaign has resulted in emails and harassing telephone calls to our employees and shareholders. We immediately petitioned the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, seeking a declaration in the proper forum that we did not discriminate or otherwise violate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. We are confident that the Court will find these accusations to be without merit.
It is our corporate policy to not comment on employees and former employees in the media or online, especially on issues related to employee’s health status.
Great Expressions Dental Centers employs over 1900 people in 7 states. Our team reflects the community we serve, including individuals from the GLBTQ community.