DETROIT — A woman checking into an emergency room in February was attacked by another patient because she was wearing a hijab, according to her lawsuit.
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John Deliz had been discharged from Beaumont Hospital earlier Feb. 10, but he was waiting for a friend to pick him up and was asking others in the waiting room for cigarettes when he attacked the 19-year-old woman checking in for a possible broken jaw from a slip and fall, according to WDIV.
"She never saw it coming," Majed Moughni, the victim's attorney, told WDIV.
In her lawsuit, the woman suffers emotional distress from the unprovoked attack and is seeking $25,000 in damages from the hospital, according to The Detroit News.
We want to hold them accountable for not looking out for the safety of other patients," Moughni told the Detroit News. "Our No. 1 goal is to make sure no human being is attacked the way my client was."
Staff acted appropriately, hospital officials said.
"Beaumont security personnel responded immediately and took action to protect the patient and others in the emergency room,” the hospital said in a statement. “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, 57, who is also named in the lawsuit, is in custody and has a competency hearing May 30, according to The Detroit News.
“She’ll never probably be the same person again,” Moughni said. “She’s emotionally distressed. She’s always looking behind her to make sure she’s not going to get attacked again.”