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Detroit Nursing Home Owner Suspended Every Black Male Staffer During Rape Investigation

UPDATE: FOX 2 News has learned that all of the suspended employees are now back to work.

On October 8, a woman living at Southgate Manor claims she was raped by a black man.  Southgate Police said they are investigating.  Meanwhile, its been reported black male workers at the nursing home have been suspended.

Reginald Hartsfield is the owner and president of Advantage Management Group, the company that owns Southgate Nursing Home. He made a statement saying he wanted to do the right thing by suspending all of his black male workers over the alleged said rape.

He claimed safety is their number one priority and without an identification of the suspect, they had to suspend every black man in every department that would have contact with the alleged victim.

“I get a description of the alleged assailant, we suspend the people that fit that description, and in this particular case the description was vague and basically they said it was a black male,” said Hartsfield by phone.  “Temporary suspension with pay while we conduct our investigation.”

Some people are not very keen on Mr. Hartsfield’s approach to the alleged rape of an alleged black man. One woman stated:

“They don’t have (any) proof,” Deadra Clemens remarked.  “You can’t go off what one of the residents say.  Who knows if she (has) Alzheimer’s, dementia or if she was in her right mind.”

Another stated:

“Do an investigation and then I say find out who really did it,” said Gary Clemens.  “Don’t just suspend every black man.”

Hartsfield assured us they would have taken the same approach if it was a white man or even a woman.  He said once an employee is ruled out as a suspect, they will be brought back to the job.

“I’m a black male myself, so I know how it sounds, but also as a nursing home administrator, I know what our regulations are and what we have to do,” he said.

Well, we know what it looks like but Mr. Hartsfield is in business and if he doesn’t handle things accordingly regarding his clients, then he will not be in business. We know it seems bias and appears accusatory but if brings the investigation to who actually did the crime, then it is a good thing. We are sorry that it had to come to this because no one likes to be accused of a crime they did not do. Besides, the workers are being paid while on suspension.

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