Jury awards $21M to former Seattle Children's doctor in racial discrimination case

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/jury-awards-former-seattle-childrens-hospital-doctor-21-million-discrimination-lawsuit/281-92791942-756c-428e-9464-47c50aad6ee5

Jury awards $21M to former Seattle Children's doctor in racial discrimination case

Author: Mia Hunt, KING 5 Staff
Published: 8:13 PM PST December 23, 2024
Updated: 8:49 PM PST December 23, 2024

SEATTLE — A jury has awarded $21 million to Dr. Benjamin Danielson, the former medical director of Seattle Children's Hospital's Odessa Brown Children's Clinic, in a discrimination lawsuit against the hospital.
Danielson, who resigned in 2020 citing racism within the organization, accused the hospital of discriminatory practices. In an interview with KING 5 following his resignation in 2021, Danielson alleged the hospital engaged in racist behavior.

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In late 2020, Danielson, a prominent pediatrician, resigned from the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic at Seattle Children's Hospital, citing racism within the institution. He pointed to systemic disparities in health care, where race often determines the quality of treatment received. Danielson highlighted disturbing nationwide statistics, such as higher maternal and infant mortality rates for Black women and racial disparities in pain management for children, particularly those with appendicitis.

Danielson accused Seattle Children's of failing to address racism during his 20 years as medical director, mentioning issues like the hospital's disproportionate use of security against Black families and lack of language support for non-English speaking patients. He also described a toxic environment where a colleague who used racial slurs was later celebrated for diversity efforts, leading to his decision to resign in protest.

An independent report confirmed many of Danielson's claims, including a failure to properly investigate a 2009 racial slur incident.
Danielson now works and teaches at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

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