An Iraqi citizen working at a Chicago-area hospital claims he was fired shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks due to his Arab and Muslim identity.
The claim is the basis of a federal discrimination suit filed this week by a controversial Muslim civil rights group. But the hospital insists that the “environmental services technician” was fired during his 90-day probationary period because of poor performance.
The Council on American and Islamic Relations, or CAIR, alleges that Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Ill., fired Saad Mahdi five days after the 9-11 attacks because hospital staff were “nervous” about his presence and “did not feel safe with him around.”
In a copy of the complaint obtained by WND, Mahdi claimed that two days after he was fired, his supervisor said, upon inquiry, that he was unaware of the reason for dismissal. Also, according to the complaint, the head of staff for the operating room – where the Iraqi was a housekeeper – told Mahdi there was no problem with his performance.
Laurie Stevens, director of public relations for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America facility, said the hospital was not aware of the lawsuit when WND asked for a response yesterday.
In a statement subsequently prepared by lawyers, the hospital said it had not yet been served the suit, but was aware of the allegations by Mahdi as filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The hospital said the Iraqi “was employed for approximately eleven weeks during which time he exhibited a pattern of unsatisfactory work performance, poor judgment and a failure to be truthful. After receipt of two warnings for failure to adhere to performance standards, he was terminated within the probationary period.”
The statement said the hospital “denies any discrimination based upon religion or national origin.”
Stevens said she and her co-workers could not comment on specific allegations made by Mahdi because they pertain to a lawsuit. She replied, however, that the hospital has other Arabs and Muslims among its employees.
WND obtained a copy of the complaint from Mahdi’s lawyer Kamran Memon, who also is a board member of CAIR-Chicago. But Memon did not return calls by WND later in the day asking for a response to the hospital’s contention that Mahdi was dismissed for poor performance.
Watching 9-11
According to the complaint, Mahdi was watching the events of Sept. 11, 2001, on a television in the hospital cafeteria when he was questioned by another employee, Evelina Cruz. Cruz allegedly told Mahdi that the terrorism was committed by Muslims and Arabs and asked the Iraqi to explain why Muslims and Arabs would do such things.
Mahdi replied that he knew nothing about the attacks. He stated that Cruz then spoke about him to other employees, saying that she did not feel safe around him.
The complaint then says: “Various hospital employees became hostile towards Mr. Mahdi, causing him severe stress.”
Later, according to the account, upper management was informed of the views of Mahdi’s co-workers but “decided to take action against Mr. Mahdi, rather than against the employees who were hostile to him.”
Madhi said that on Sept. 15, housekeeping supervisor Joe Jahn, to whom Mahdi reported, placed a phone call to Mahdi, who was at home “sick due to stress.” Jahn asked for Mahdi’s social security number and birthdate, even though, said Mahdi, the hospital already had that information.
On Sept. 16, Mahdi went to work but was instructed to meet with Barbara Saunders, manager of dietary/environmental services. Upon entering the meeting room, Mahdi said he found a uniformed security officer guarding a door, the head of security, another man and Marie Ellis, director of human resources.
The complaint then describes an “interrogation” that “lasted almost one hour.”
Saunders and Marsh allegedly asked Mahdi if he had seen the 9-11 attacks on television and to give his opinion of them. Mahdi reportedly said he thought the attacks were bad.
The Iraqi also allegedly was asked if he was an Arab (Yes), if he spoke Arabic to anyone at the hospital (No), how long he had been in the U.S. (Since March 2000), if he was a U.S. citizen (No) and if he had a green card (Yes).
When Mahdi inquired why he was being questioned, he reportedly was told he “could not work at the hospital for the time being, but maybe he could come back soon.”
He asked why, according to his account, “and they answered that people were nervous about the terrorist attacks.”
Mahdi said that the security chief took his badge, then a security officer escorted him to his locker and then out to his car.
The complaint says, “Mr. Mahdi suffered additional stress as a result of this incident.”
Mahdi was never reinstated, says the complaint, which states the Iraqi is seeking redress for “religious, national origin and ancestry discrimination” according to the Civil Rights Act.
For “emotional distress” and “inconvenience,” among other damages, the former hospital employee is asking for recovery of lost wages, compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney’s fees and costs. Mahdi also wants “a position with Good Samaritan Hospital with seniority or, in the alternative, front pay.”
