In 2017, Qiqiuia Young filed a lawsuit against Stanford University and Stanford Health Care, alleging racial harassment. The lawsuit included accusations that coworkers used the N-word and mistreated Black patients. One image included in the lawsuit depicted someone dressed as a member of the Ku Klux Klan in what appeared to be a patient examination room.
Young, who is Black, felt compelled to speak out about the racism she experienced at work. However, her efforts were met with resistance from Stanford dean Lloyd Minor and CEO David Entwistle, who sent an email to 22,000 recipients implying that Young had been dishonest in her reports of racism and misconduct. The email was found to have defamed Young by an Alameda County Superior Court jury in March.
The jury awarded Young $20 million in damages, but this amount was reduced to $10 million on June 13 by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Karin Schwartz. Despite this reduction, Lara Villarreal Hutner, Young’s attorney, praised her client as a hero for standing up against discrimination and winning her case after a nearly decade-long battle against the larger institutions of Stanford University and Stanford Health Care.
Stanford Health Care responded to the verdict by stating that racist actions have no place at their organization and that they respectfully disagree with the jury’s decision. They continue to pursue post-judgment remedies despite the verdict being finalized.