Former nurses fired after raising concerns about issues at Wayne County juvenile facility, lawsuit claims
(CBS DETROIT) - When Shermanstine Morrow and Tanzy Huddleston first started working as nurses at the William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck, they say they quickly noticed a number of alarming issues they believed put the youth at risk.
"In order to give a female any kind of psych medication, you have to draw her blood to make sure she is not pregnant," Morrow said. "We didn't have any butterfly needles, so I had to borrow needles from my sister in order to do the draw, and it was approved by the supervisor at the time."
Morrow's sister was a nurse, she said.
Morrow's account of what happened that day is among the many accusations she and Huddleston are making against the facility.
The two also say expired medications have been given to kids. They claim the youth are living in deplorable conditions and also say their health is at risk because the facility lacks the proper emergency care equipment.
But Morrow and Huddleston say when they tried to do the right thing and tell their superiors about the issues, they claim they were retaliated against and then fired.
"They said that we were protected because we were whistleblowers and then they took our information that we gave them and turned it around on us and fired us," said Huddleston.
Morrow and Huddleston are now suing Wayne County and others for the firing.
Darnell Barton and Dionne Webster are their attorneys.
"These are people who have gone through a repeated process of reporting this information and to no avail," said Barton.
Webster-Cox said, "We're talking about things that are atrocious, atrocities that no one, not a single child or adult should have to endure these conditions."
They're now calling on an investigation to look into the facility and also a statewide reform of the juvenile justice system.
"It's very unfortunate. We were here to take care of these to make sure they have that they needed and that they go proper care and because of all of the inadequacies that they had here, and they didn't get that, and it's a shame," Huddleston said.
Wayne County issued the following statement Thursday night:
"Beginning in October 2022, Wayne County transitioned its operations to the William Dickerson Facility. Our commitment to enhancing the facility's conditions reflects our deep concern for the safety and well-being of both our youth and staff.
"Since then, we've made significant strides in operations, collaborating with behavioral health centers, tethering programs, courts, and other relevant entities. To further our impact, we've increased the number of court hearings by establishing additional hearing "rooms."
"Dedicated to addressing the long-term needs of the juveniles in our care, we've implemented various initiatives, including:
- A 35% increase in salaries
- Hiring 80 new staff members, quadrupling our staffing ratio
- Establishing an in-house therapeutic facility
- Enhancing and expanding educational and recreational services
- Implementing a merit-based system that rewards positive behavior
- Establishing a bi-weekly Student Council to voice facility concerns and contribute to policy updates
"While we acknowledge our initial challenges, we take pride in the progress achieved since relocating to the Dickerson Facility over the past year. As part of our commitment to improvement, we hold our employees accountable, as exemplified by the necessary actions taken regarding two nurses, Tanzy Huddleston and Shermanstine Morrow.
"Though our journey began with challenges, we are proud of the positive transformations accomplished at the Dickerson Facility over the past year."
