Transvestite Discrimination Case Begins After Death

Margie Hunter, the mother of Tyrone Hunter, a transvestite who died following a car accident in 1995, has brought a lawsuit claiming her son received negligent care from emergency medical technicians and a doctor at DC General Hospital.

"It's long overdue," said Ms. Hunter of the lawsuit. She claims that emergency medical technicians laughed at her 24-year-old son and deprived him of care because he was dressed in women's clothing.

Her lawsuit also states that a doctor, Joseph Bastien, was not properly certified to care for her son at DC General on August 7, 1995, and accused him of withholding care as well. Bastien allegedly did not put Hunter into surgery to stop internal bleeding, and was not given a needed blood transfusio, resulting in his death.

Several residents are scheduled to testify that they witnessed first-hand EMTs' comments about Hunter after they pulled him from the car. The paramedics allegedly halted treatment on Hunter for at least five minutes after detecting that he was male.

Media Resources: AP - November 9, 1998

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