Michigan Hospital Denied Early Out in Deaf Woman’s Bias Suit

A deaf woman will get a jury trial on whether a hospital intentionally discriminated against her by failing to accommodate her need for an in-person interpreter prior to surgery, a federal trial court said.

Kerri Sparks’ evidence raised jury questions about whether a Henry Ford Health System hospital’s employees were deliberately indifferent to her communication needs, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan said.

Judge Shalina D. Kumar mostly denied Henry Ford’s motion for summary judgment, saying Sparks could ask a jury to determine if she was entitled to money damages. Sparks, however, couldn’t proceed on ...