Muslim Student Punched in Michigan Hospital Blames Staff for Failing to Protect Her
A Muslim woman is suing a hospital in Dearborn, Michigan, claiming it failed to protect her from an alleged racially motivated attack by a man in the waiting room.
Surveillance footage of the incident shows the unnamed 19-year-old student, who is wearing a hijab, approach the emergency room reception desk at the Beaumont Hospital in the early hours of February 10.
A man in a green jacket, later identified as John Deliz, 57, approaches the victim from behind and punches her several times in the head in an unprovoked attack. Moments later Deliz is tackled by a security guard while the victim is escorted away.
The woman has now filed a lawsuit against the hospital claiming that staff failed to take appropriate measures to monitor Deliz, who is believed to have attended the hospital seeking mental health care.
"They knew he was a danger yet instead of removing him, removing this danger, they allow him to stay and they allowed him literally to attack my client," Majed Moughni, the attorney representing the woman, told ABC.
According to a police report of the incident, Deliz had been discharged from the hospital but continued to hang around the emergency room lobby, asking patients and visitors for cigarettes and “wandering down the adjacent hallways.”
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At around 3:30am, Deliz attacked the 19-year-old woman "for no other reason but because she was a Muslim,” according to the complaint.
The victim was at the hospital to receive treatment for a broken jaw after falling on ice. “No person should ever have to enter into a hospital emergency room with one injury and exit with two,” Moughni said.
The woman is seeking at least $25,000 in damages from the hospital. “She’ll never probably be the same person again,” Moughni told Detroit News. “She’s emotionally distressed. She’s always looking behind her to make sure she’s not going to get attacked again.”
In a statement, the hospital confirmed there was an incident involving one of their patients and that “security personnel responded immediately and took action to protect the patient and others in the emergency room.
“Dearborn Police were contacted and Beaumont staff cooperated fully in the investigation. We take pride in our service to this diverse community and want all patients to feel welcome at Beaumont.”
Deliz was taken into custody and faces a competency hearing to determine if he can stand trial on May 30.