West Babylon Nurse Fired For 'Racist' Tirade On Black Woman

WEST BABYLON, NY — A West Babylon nurse who works at a Mineola hospital was fired recently after unleashing a "racist" tirade on a Black woman who was looking at houses to buy near her home.

On July 8, real estate agent Steve White was showing a woman a house when the nurse, who is white, shouted racial slurs and rhetoric supporting President Donald Trump, according to his client. As they were driving away, the nurse stuck up both of her middle fingers and pointed her garden hose at them, White said.

"We were in total disbelief," White told Patch in a phone interview Thursday. "For this to happen in today's day and age is just mind-boggling."

Afterward, the client contacted Bobby Smith, executive director of the nonprofit African-American Educational & Cultural Festival, who identified the woman and immediately reached out to NYU Winthrop Hospital, where she worked. In a statement to Patch, the hospital said the nurse no longer works there.

"After an investigation into the situation, the employee in question has been terminated," the statement read. "Racist behavior, on the part of any of the hospital's employees, will not be tolerated whether inside our facilities or in the community. Such behavior is inconsistent with our values."

The hospital did not identify the nurse.

White said his client did a lot of research on where to buy on a home on Long Island and never expected to receive that kind of reaction in West Babylon. White, who has worked as a real estate agent for four years, said he has never witnessed something like that on the job.

"This just took everyone by surprise," he said. "When you witness it, it opens up your eyes even more."

Smith told Patch that when he contacted the hospital to inform officials there of the nurse's behavior, he was told that there were "numerous" complaints about her being "racist" toward coworkers.