Hospital employee fired for allegedly ‘telling’ and turning away transgender patient • Iowa Capital Dispatch

A central Iowa public hospital employee has been fired after he was accused of trolling and “dead-naming” a transgender patient.

State records show that on September 23, 2024, Tanya Y. Daniels was working as a patient access representative at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines when a clinic manager fielded a complaint from a transgender patient.

According to testimony from hospital officials at a recent hearing, the patient alleged that while Daniels was checking her in for an appointment at Broadlawns, Daniels repeatedly used the wrong pronouns and referred to the patient by her previous name – a practice commonly referred to as “deadnaming.” will .” Hospital officials said the patient reported that she repeatedly told Daniels her correct name and preferred pronouns, but Daniels continued to misidentify the patient by name and gender.

The patient eventually became upset and sought help from another staff member. At that point, the patient looked back and allegedly saw Daniels “turning” her by pointing at her with a raised middle finger, hospital officials testified.

State records show the hospital’s clinical director, Krissy Harlow, informed Daniels of the complaint and asked her what happened. According to the hospital, Daniels told Harlow that the patient was mumbling, was hard to hear, and that the patient’s behavior “upset” her. Daniels allegedly admitted to using the patient’s previous name and incorrect pronouns, stating, “I don’t know what to call these people.”

Daniels also reportedly told Harlow that she had actually rejected the patient, but argued that she did not believe the patient could have seen it in any way that she did.

A Broadlawns human resources representative then reviewed surveillance footage of the incident, which allegedly showed Daniels turning the patient in a manner visible to the patient.

On September 25, 2024, Broadlawns fired Daniels for violating the organization’s code of conduct. She had worked for the hospital since November 2021.

Daniels then applied for unemployment insurance and received $1,812 in benefits before the case was referred to Administrative Law Judge Patrick B. Thomas. After a hearing on the matter, Thomas ruled that Daniels was ineligible for unemployment benefits due to workplace misconduct.

Thomas concluded that Daniels “intentionally and repeatedly misrepresented a patient reporting for an appointment.” Additionally, (Daniels) made an offensive gesture toward the patient that was visible to the patient when the patient became upset with (Daniels) and sought help from another staff member.”

Thomas concluded that Daniels “showed a willful and substantial disregard for the emotional well-being of the patient and the interests of the employer in this case,” which disqualified her from receiving unemployment benefits.

Because Broadlawns did not attend the initial fact-finding hearing related to Daniels’ unemployment claim, Daniels was not obligated to pay back benefits he had already received, Thomas ruled.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch could not reach Daniels for comment.