Dr. Stanley Berry, who led Wayne State University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) as the interim director and well as served as a full-time professor at the academic institution, is suing the university. According to the impending lawsuit, Wayne State denied Dr. Berry the full directorship because he pointed out the anti-Black bias in the medical school’s handling of Black patients.
The civil rights lawsuit is filed in the U.S. District Court and names, among others, the school’s Board of Governors and School of Medicine Dean Wael Sakr.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Berry voiced his concern about the residents potentially causing harm by sending pregnant Black women home when they were in “excruciating” pain. As a result, Berry’s colleagues allegedly stated that he was a “bad apple” and turning off others by speaking up about the situation.
When he tried to call a department-wide meeting to again discuss how they were handling Black pregnant women, not only did a medical school official cancel Berry’s meeting, but another meeting was also allegedly held—and Berry was not invited.
Though Wayne State would not comment on the case, they said they maintain their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Berry’s advocacy for pregnant Black women is not unfounded. A 2016 study in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science stated that half of White medical students believe myths about Black people’s bodies, such as we have thicker skin and have a far higher threshold of pain. These stereotypes have led to situations where non-Black medical professionals fail to listen—let alone help–Black patients and their advocates.
This issue crosses economic classes, as such a thing happened to former tennis champion Serena Williams, when she was giving birth to her daughter. After she gave birth, Williams stated that nurses refused to listen to her regarding her history of blood clots and how it could affect her recovery. Only when she demanded to speak with her doctor did the rest of the staff listen and, in the process, avoided a life-threatening situation.