- Jun 12
- 4 min read
The St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP is challenging local healthcare providers to go beyond routine reviews of racial discrimination claims that often mask deeper systemic failures.
Branch President Esther Sanni first formally communicated concerns to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital last week after several community members found an All Children’s contractor’s social media comments offensive. The remarks stated that those participating in “teen takeovers” should be bribed with bananas.
“The reference to bananas has long been associated with racist stereotypes and imagery historically used to demean, dehumanize, and mock Black people and people of African descent,” Sanni wrote. “As such, many residents have interpreted this statement as racist and harmful.”
Her letter to Alycia Schulhof, CEO of All Children’s, also noted that the public comments contradict the hospital’s commitment to embracing diversity and inclusion. Sanni concluded by respectfully requesting leadership to review the matter “in accordance with its policies, values, and expectations for those affiliated with the organization.”
Schulhof replied that she was aware of the social media comments and shared the community’s “deep concern.” She said All Children’s has an “established and rigorous process for addressing allegations of discrimination and harassment.”
The contractor was barred from working at the hospital, Schulhof said, but the hospital must “defer to his employer regarding an investigation and any further action.” Sanni told Power Broker Magazine that he is no longer employed.
A day following Schuhof’s response, the NAACP was made aware of a separate incident involving a registered nurse. Tamiko Keaton worked for Bayfront’s Babyplace facility, located inside nearby All Children’s.
After filing several formal complaints regarding staff treatment, patient safety, and racial hostility, Keaton was terminated. “They fired her, and then have been blackballing her since,” Sanni said.
Keaton, who now works in California despite still renting a home in St. Petersburg, said she began receiving unsafe assignments in 2023. Mental health challenges stemming from the death of a patient’s baby ensued.
Written reprimands for missing work followed. “That was legitimate, everybody was calling off work,” Keaton said. “I was having issues with the fetal demise.”
She started filing written complaints regarding the alleged mistreatment, including racial tensions. The situation came to a head in February 2024, when a fellow employee, who already made Keaton uncomfortable, taped a “Black face” placard on a medication room door. The image (below) is of a black heart-shaped character with white eyes, a wide, white-outlined mouth, a red protruding tongue, and red hands.
The display remained in the oft-visited nurses' station throughout February - Black History Month. Sanni and Keaton believe it resembled a historically racist minstrel caricature.
Keaton said she walked down several halls to see if there were other black hearts, but that was the only one. “When I saw it, I knew exactly what it was. Immediately. And she signed her name on it.”
“They said they investigated it,” Keaton said of that and other formal complaints. “I did not have a clue. I knew they were talking about me. Nothing was done.”
She was terminated two months later due to alleged complaints from physicians, coworkers, and patients. Keaton calls it retaliation.
“I would love to be able to go to sleep in my own bed,” she added. “But I can’t get a job there. The recruiting people stopped even calling me, because I guess it got back to them.”
In a letter dated June 5, John Moore, president of Bayfront Hospital, told Sanni that he is familiar with Keaton’s allegations, which were previously investigated and reviewed. “Consistent with our policies and our obligations to employees, patients, and the community, we will further review the claims you raised through our established processes,” he wrote.
“Because personnel and investigative matters involve confidentiality considerations, we are limited in what we can disclose regarding any review of actions taken.”
Sanni said recent incidents, including one involving Empath Health, highlight some “real issues in healthcare” and treatment of employees within the industry. “Maybe now is the time to really be intentional and shine a light on that.”
“I think what happens is they only address things when it’s brought forward ,” Sanni continued. “In particular, Johns Hopkins - they feel like everything has been handled. The individual wasn’t an employee. But we are consistently getting more and more details about people who are experiencing discriminatory practices.”
However, she also believes that “true community advocacy” from united organizations has and can continue to make a difference. Sanni encourages people with similar issues to tag the NAACP in their social media posts so the organization can "investigate, research, and address it as needed.”
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