Seattle Children’s Hospital (courtesy of Seattle Children’s)

Seattle Children’s Hospital (courtesy of Seattle Children’s)

Group demands accountability following Seattle Children’s racism investigation

King County Equity Now petition calls for resignations and community program funding.

Pro-equity advocacy group King County Equity Now hosted a virtual conference on Aug. 18 in which Black leaders and community advocates demanded accountability following recent reports of racism and health care inequality at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the clinics they operate.

Racism at these health care institutions came to the forefront in 2020 when medical director Dr. Ben Danielson resigned in an act of protest against systemic racism at the Central District’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, a clinic originally established with the mission of providing equitable health care to the Black community.

In wake of Danielson’s resignation, Seattle Children’s announced an independent investigation into the institution’s practices and policies related to race, equity, diversity and inclusion that would be conducted by former Attorney General Eric Holder.

Now, after the investigation has been completed, the board of trustees at Seattle Children’s is refusing to publicly release the full report. After pressure from the public, a succinct summary of some of the findings of the investigation was released.

The document released contained one page of content with less than a dozen bulleted points regarding “Workplace Equity,” “Health Equity,” and “Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic” findings.

Some of the findings include: a lack of accountability impeding diversity, equity and inclusion; racial disparities in promotions, leadership positions and resignations; distrust and dysfunction in human resources contributing to an environment that “excludes and undervalues BIPOC workforce members;” racial disparities in when security is called on patients of color; and racial disparities in patient care that the hospital admits it has identified, but could not mitigate.

The document also claims that “Seattle Children’s did not adequately investigate or address a 2009 allegation that Dr. Jim Hendricks referred to Dr. Ben Danielson using a racist epithet.”

In response to the lack of transparency and accountability regarding the investigation they called a public relations move, King County Equity Now is issuing conditions and demands to the health care organization through an online petition.

Among those demands are the immediate firing of Seattle Children’s CEO Jeffrey Sperring and the resignation of Board Chair Susan Betcher.

Candace Jackson, founder and chair of the African American Health Board, called the manner in which Seattle Children’s handled the investigation and response to it a “slap in the face” to the community. She emphasized that the accountability-dodging institutional tactics used by the organization are not unfamiliar to the Black community.

The King County Equity Now petition also called for the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic to be “ceded” out of control of Seattle Children’s and under the control of the Black community as well as for Seattle Children’s to provide 10 years of operational funding to the clinic.

The petition also asked that Seattle Children’s invest $30 million in the Tubman Center for Health and Freedom capital campaign, $3 million in the African American Health Board to bring on leadership team and staff, and to invest 5% of Seattle Children’s Hospital’s endowment into the Black community.

Jackie Vaughn, co-director of Surge Reproductive Justice, said it is about a full reinvestment and redirection of funds into Black-led community programs.

Emijah Smith, King County Equity Now’s chief of staff, said the lack of funding to the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic violated the trust of the partnership between the community and the health care institution. She urged that funding be redirected into clinics and programs that actually serve the community.

“You must follow the leadership of the Black community,” she said.

Isaac Joy, King County Equity Now’s CEO, emphasized the importance of redirecting funding to Black-led organizations that can be accountable to the Black community. He said the issue of racial inequity in health care is not one limited to one organization, but rather a much larger issue.

“Our systems our sick,” said AyeNay Abye, CEO at Tubman Center for Health and Freedom. “They are making our community sick.”

In addition to the petition, Joy said supporters have sent around 3,000 emails to different staff and administrators at Seattle Children’s asking for accountability and equity measures.

“Hopefully they will respond to that and do the right thing,” Joy said.

Dr. Danielson spoke at the KCEN virtual conference on Wednesday. He said the desire for acknowledgment of the issue, recognition of the injustice and rationalization of the outrage is the “right” way for community members to feel.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

Courtesy Photo, Kent Police
Kent City Council considers sales tax hike to hire more police

Council could approve measure without going to voters; hike would be 10 cents on every $100 purchase

t
Kent father, 26, killed in shooting June 16 on East Hill

Family identifies Leroy Tinoga, married father of two young children

King County’s Patricia Clark Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle, where juveniles facing criminal charges are detained. COURTESY PHOTO, King County
Man, juvenile face murder charges in Kent student’s death

Kent-Meridian High student fatally shot in June 2024 during drug deal at Campus Park

t
Signs at Reith Road roundabouts in Kent take a beating

Drivers knocking down directional and yield signs at two new roundabouts

t
Kent woman faces vehicular homicide charge in March crash

Wajiha Din also faces vehicular assault in collision that killed Jose Ortiz and injured his wife

Courtesy Photo
Kent man, 63, charged with robbing Auburn bank

The suspect wore no mask, but donned an orange safety vest.

File Photo, Kent Reporter
Man fatally shot on East Hill in Kent; found inside vehicle

Incident Monday afternoon, June 16 in area of SE 240th Street and 108th Avenue SE

t
People ‘fed up’ with Trump administration protest in Covington | Photos

Estimated crowd of 1,500 lines main street in town June 14 with signs and chants

t
Kent firefighters fight three fires in three days | Photos

Puget Sound Fire responds June 10-12 to camper, house and apartment fires; no injuries

Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. FILE PHOTO, Kent Reporter
Man receives 10-year sentence for Kent parking lot killing

Fatally shot man in 2023 after he approached vehicle with baseball bat as part of ongoing feud

File Photo, Kent Reporter
Kent Police Blotter: May 26 to June 8

Incidents include domestic violence, store robbery, vehicle pursuit, copper wire theft

Washington State STEM Signing Day 2025 honorees in a group photo at a celebration event on June 6, at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) in Renton. Courtesy photo.
Select Kent seniors, grads honored on STEM Signing Day

Two Kentridge High students, one Kent-Meridian student receive recognition