HAINES CITY, Fla. (AP) — Seven bilingual health care workers say supervisors at a Florida government-run clinic warned them to stop speaking Spanish among themselves or they would get fired.
ABC Action News obtained a signed complaint from all seven nurses saying they’ve endured discrimination and harassment dating back to 2017. In the letter the bilingual healthcare workers, who are all Puerto Rican, say an Assistant Nursing Director, Senior Community Nursing Supervisor and a Clinic Division Director uses threats and intimidation when telling the women not to speak Spanish among themselves. The letter states those involved said if they didn’t stop speaking Spanish the group would be removed or transferred to a different clinic.