ALLEN PARK, Mich. – A Wiccan woman says a receptionist at her doctor’s office wrote “devil worshippers” on her medical information. Dana Hernandez was reportedly at the doctor’s office for a routine visit when she noticed what the receptionist had written on her paper. The receptionist was later fired.
Ms. Hernandez and her husband went to the office of Dr. Ghassan Otto last week, and they were asked to update her insurance information. After she handed the receptionist a slip of paper with her and her husband’s insurance information, the receptionist asked Hernandez what religion she is part of.
Hernandez looked at the paper that she had previously handed receptionist and noticed that the receptionist had written “devil worshippers” on it.
Hernandez believes that the woman saw her pentagram earrings and mistook them for a symbol associated with Satanic religions.
In an interview with WJBK, Hernandez said, “While that may be the religion of some people and I’m not being disrespectful of that, that’s a sore misrepresentation of who I am as a Wiccan of my values.”
She notes that, deserved or not, worshipping the devil carries a negative connotation.
While Ms. Hernandez is Wiccan, her husband Hugo is Catholic.
The couple attempted to talk directly with the doctor about what happened with the receptionist, both the questioning about what religion they follow and the note she wrote on their insurance information, but Hernandez says the doctor appeared to brush them off.
However, when the office manager for the doctor’s office was contacted, Elanora Clark, she says they thoroughly investigated the incident and terminated the receptionist for violating office policy.
Attorney Robert Previto says the couple handled the situation correctly and the firing of the employee was the correct result.
“The receptionist is clearly a bigot who doesn’t understand that Wicca isn’t Satanism,” said Mr. Previto.
He says in this case there don’t appear to be any damages suffered by the couple, so a lawsuit wouldn’t be the most appropriate solution.
Although if the doctor had refused to treat her or had given her inferior treatment based on her religion, then seeking legal counsel is a better route to take.
Mr. Hernandez says he feels bad that the woman was fired, and they don’t wish ill will on anyone. Ms. Hernandez says the world needs healing and more education so people don’t turn against one another.
HT: wildhunt.org