Legal Defense Fund Files 12 Complaints Charging Discrimination in Hospitals

Press Release
July 15, 1965

Legal Defense Fund Files 12 Complaints Charging Discrimination in Hospitals preview

12 New Complains of Hospital Discrimination Bring Total to 110

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  • Press Releases, Volume 2. Legal Defense Fund Files 12 Complaints Charging Discrimination in Hospitals, 1965. 75c4ca16-b692-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/38fa06a1-6fe9-4186-addb-487fc6695aef/legal-defense-fund-files-12-complaints-charging-discrimination-in-hospitals. Accessed May 16, 2025.

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10 Columbus Circle 

New York, N.Y. 10019 
Wdson 6-8397 

NAACP 

Legal Defense and-Educational Fund 
PRESS RELEASE 
ails FOR RELEASE 

Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers Thursday, 
Director-Counsel July 15, 1965 

lack Greenberg 

LEGAL DEFENSE FUND FILES 12 COMPLAINTS 
CHARGING DISCRIMINATION IN HOSPITALS 

New Complaints Bring Total to 110 Filed to Date 

WASHINGTON, D, C,--The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and 

the NAACP today filed complaints charging 12 federally assisted 

hospitals in six southern states with discriminatory practices. 

The complaints, filed against hospitals in Arkansas, Texas, 

Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida, make a total of 

110 such complaints filed with Anthony J, Celebrezze, secretary of 

Health, Education and Welfare, by the two organizations since 

February. 

In a letter to Mr. Celebrezze, Jack Greenberg, Legal Defense 

Fund director-counsel, and J, Francis Pohlhaus, NAACP Washingto 

Bureau counsel, asked "that appropriateaction be taken to insure 

immediate compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of 

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,." 

Under the law, federal funds could be withheld from facilities 

that practice discrimination. 

The NAACP and the Legal Defense Fund, an independent 

organization, represent individuals who have encountered discrim- 

ination in the hospitals. 

One facility, St. David's Hospital, Austin, Texas, is charged 

with excluding Negro professional workers from its staff, and with 

refusing to treat Negro patients. 

Dauterive Hospital, New Iberia, Louisiana, allegedly will give 

emergency treatment to Negroes, but thereafter transfers them to 

another hospital. 

No Negro has ever been knowingly admitted to the facility, the 

complaint states. 

(more) 

Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 RIverside 9-8487 



aoe 

‘Legal, Defense Fund’ Files 12 Complaints 
Charging eee tienes ron in Hospitals z 

Other hospitals are charged with-maintaining segregated wards, ' 

wings and floors, segregated lounges, dining facilities, rest rooms 

and Mek ting offices and refusal to hire Negro professtonaimammtoyee 

and 2 GRR 3 i 

THe 12 hospitals named in the complaints are: Union County 

and Warner Brown Hospitals, ElDorado, Arkansas; St. David's 

Hospital, Austing Texas; Dauterive and Iberia Parish Hodbitals, 

New Iberiay Louisiana, and Lasalette Hospital, Loreau, Houtsi ana; 

Also, Northern Surrey Hospital, Mount Airy, North rolina; 

Baldwin County Hospital, Milledgeville, Georgia; Hutche son 

Memorial Tri-County Hospital, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; Peicasseus 

Cameron Hospital, Sulpher, Louisiana; Bay Memorial Hospital; 
* 

Panama City, Florida, and Henderson County Hospital, Trinidad, Texas. 

-30- 3

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