Articles and Videos Regarding Joppy v. HCA HealthOne LLC et al; Mohamed v. Society for Human Resource Management and The State of Tennessee v. RaDonda Vaught

First, here are several articles and videos regarding a series of events that began in 2017, when Nurse DonQuenick Joppy began working in the ICU at The Medical Center of Aurora (Colorado), and escalated through to June, 2019

The final outcome on August 19, 2025 was a landmark verdict at the intersection of Civil Rights, workplace mobbing and racism in nursing JOPPY v. HCA-HEALTHONE LLC in the US District Court for Colorado  

What Two Court Cases Reveal About Race and Power in Nursing Today
By Meg Lambrych, RN
Published Online: January 6, 2026, NursingColleges

 “In the U.S., nursing is overwhelmingly led and shaped by white women. (Nursing) culture can be defined as one of white womanhood: not a skin color, but a set of messages the profession absorbs and reproduces. White womanhood in nursing… is about maintaining spaces where white women maintain proximity to power and prestige; historically, this is to prove their worth to white male physicians.

 White womanhood creates a culture obsessed with niceness, respectability, and avoiding conflict at all costs. It demonizes anger, infantilizes white women as fragile, and dehumanizes Black women.”

Truth, Trust, and Selective Solidarity in Nursing 
By Soucy G, Robichaux C, Stake-Doucet N, Bernstein SL, Ciesielski S, Cline L, Fontenot J, Kieran K, Lucey J, Morris D, Papatsoris A, Salguero R, Seltzer Uribe J, Shattell M, Zagata K, Morse B (2025) Truth, trust, and selective solidarity in nursing, Health Equity 9:1, 668–671.
Published Online: 24 November 2025, Health Equity Journal

 "Racism remains deep-seated in nursing culture, education, and practice, and within professional organizations, despite widespread declarations of commitment to address racism. This commentary examines two legal cases—one involving a Black nurse, the other white—both fired, yet met with contrasting responses and selective advocacy. This case study in systemic racism reveals how race shapes professional solidarity and engagement of leaders and organizations. Nurses, particularly white nurses, must confront uncomfortable truths, reckon with distrust, demand accountability, and move beyond statements to sustained, anti-racist action. Trust in nursing depends not on reputation alone but on the willingness of nurses to uphold justice."

The $20M Verdict That Gave One Nurse Justice 
By Akshaya Krishnan
November 20, 2025, YellowScene Magazine

"In August 2025, a jury in Joppy v. HCA-HealthOne LLC et al found that The Medical Center of Aurora (TMCA), a Magnet-designated hospital owned by HCA Healthcare, discriminated and retaliated against registered nurse DonQuenick Joppy. The verdict: $20 million, including $15 million in punitive damages.

For Joppy, the win is more than personal. “Future generations need us to tell the truth,” she said. “There needs to be change in healthcare.”

Had to Defend My Integrity’: Colorado Hospital Got Black Nurse Arrested for Patient’s Death After She Stood Up Against Racism. Then She Took Her Fight to Court–– and Won 
By Jill Jordan Sieder
September 5, 2025, Atlanta Black Star

 "A Black ICU nurse who claimed a Colorado hospital racially discriminated against her and then fired her for complaining, while wrongfully blaming her for an elderly patient’s death, was awarded $20 million by a federal jury last month.

DonQuenick Joppy, 41, sued HCA-HealthOne LLC, the parent company of The Medical Center of Aurora, in U.S. District Court in Colorado in April 2022, three years after she was fired in the wake of the death of a 93-year-old patient who was experiencing organ failure and septic shock when he was admitted to the intensive care unit, attached to a ventilator.

 The unconscious man’s family soon agreed to turn off his ventilator, and Joppy was initially charged with palliative care — making his death as comfortable and painless as possible, according to the lawsuit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star."

Jury awards $20 million to nurse fired by Aurora hospital in discrimination case - HCA HealthOne Aurora plans to appeal verdict in DonQuenick Joppy’s federal lawsuit against hospital 
By Meg Wingerter
August 20, 2025, The Denver Post

 "A federal jury in Colorado awarded a Black nurse $20 million this week after determining HCA HealthOne Aurora fired her because she had complained about the racial discrimination she faced on the job.

The hospital pushed for her prosecution and sent incorrect information to the state Board of Nursing, effectively ending her chances of getting another job in the field, Joppy said.

 “I’m not the first nurse to go through this, but I pray I’m the last,” she said in an interview Wednesday.

 HealthOne said in a statement that it “strongly disagrees” with Tuesday’s verdict in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and plans to appeal. Hospitals have an obligation to report improper care, the statement said."

Jury Awards Nurse DonQuenick Joppy $20M for Discrimination Lawsuit 
By Christy Book
Published Online August 19, 2025, Nurse.org 

 "DonQuenick Yvonne Joppy, a registered nurse (RN), has emerged victorious in a legal battle that once threatened to derail her career and her life. Her story—marked by allegations of racial discrimination, unfair treatment, and a justice system that seemed stacked against her—sparked outrage and drew attention to broader questions about equity and accountability in healthcare.

Now, a federal jury has sided with Joppy in her civil rights lawsuit against her former employer, HCA-HealthOne LLC d/b/a The Medical Center of Aurora.

 On August 19, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado found unanimously that Joppy’s termination was the result of both retaliation for her complaint about race discrimination and race discrimination itself."

Manslaughter Charges Dropped & Unequal Justice: The Nurse DonQuenick Joppy Story
First broadcast Mar 22, 2023 
The Gritty Nurse Podcast

 “In this episode, Amie & Sara discuss the case of nurse DonQuenick Joppy with nurse Amanda Golino. 

Ms. Joppy, a Black nurse claims she faced racial discrimination at an Aurora hospital that led to her being wrongly prosecuted for manslaughter in the death of an elderly patient. We agree. 

 The criminal charges, brought by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, were later dropped at the prosecution’s request “in the interest of justice,” a motion to dismiss shows. Where is the same outrage/energy nursing colleagues had for Radonda Vaught? This could happen to any nurse too. Please elevate and amplify Ms. Joppy's story.”

Letter to the Editor by Amanda Golino in Response to “Ethics: Addressing Error: Partnership in a Just Culture”
Published  June 11, 2023 
Online Journal of Issues in Nursing

“I am writing this letter in response to the column "Ethics: Addressing Error: Partnership in a Just Culture." I hope you will consider sharing this to better clarify the distinct differences between the cases of RaDonda Vaught and DonQuenick Joppy.

(snip)

I agree that Ms. Joppy has not received enough support from the nursing profession, and I hope this is the beginning of much needed change. That change has to come with a reckoning from within on the issue of racism in nursing. For these reasons, I do not believe Ms. Joppy’s story should be compared to Ms. Vaught's. DonQuenick Joppy committed no error other than her existing as a Black woman in a white dominated profession.”

A $20M Wake-Up Call:The Landmark DonQuenick Joppy Case, Racism & Retaliation & The Future of Nursing
First broadcast October 2, 2025
The Gritty Nurse Podcast With Amie Archibald-Varley

 “In this eye-opening episode of The Gritty Nurse Podcast, host Amie Archibald-Varley and special guest Jerry Soucy unpack the landmark case of DonQuenick Yvonne Joppy, the ICU nurse who courageously challenged racial discrimination, wrongful termination, and retaliation in healthcare.

Her case exposed the dark side of nursing culture—and won a $20M verdict that changes everything. This is an essential listen for nurses, leaders, administrators, and all who believe in a just, equitable healthcare system.”

Racism, Nursing and DonQuenick - A video series
“How can you address what you won’t even talk about?”

Jury Forms

***

Addendum - Mohamed v. Society for Human Resource Management (1:22-cv-01625)

This recent case is significant in the context of Joppy v HCA et al

The same claims (race discrimination and retaliation) were brought under the same law (42 USC Section 1981) filed in the same US Court District (Colorado) in the same year (2022) and also for a jury trial in the same year (2025) in the same US District Courthouse (Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse) with the same jury instructions except for specific case details and the same jury form with the same unanimous verdict but with different amounts awarded to Plaintiff ($5 million compensatory and $15 million punitive in Joppy v HCA; $1.5 million compensatory and $10 million punitive for Mohamed v. Society for Human Resource Management)

A few selected links:

The SHRM Discrimination Lawsuit Ends with a $11.5 Million Verdict
December 8, 2025, The HR Digest

“The discrimination lawsuit against SHRM, titled Mohamed v. Society for Human Resource Management, was initially filed in 2022 by a former instructional designer who had worked at the organization between 2016 to 2020. The case finally reached a Colorado court at the start of December, after a judge approved a jury hearing. The former employee alleged that she was unfairly discriminated against during her time at the organization and was subsequently fired as a result.

…the racism retaliation case was filed against SHRM, but the matter took a while to unravel. The HR leader even asked the courts to block the plaintiff from using its apparent position in the industry as a specialist in HR best practices to make a case against the business. This request was denied. 

The jury verdict confirmed that internal biases were at play at SHRM and that the former employee should be compensated for her troubles. The ruling involves an $11.5 million payout. This was broken down into $1.5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million for punitive damages, according to Business Insider.”

HR giant SHRM faces blowback after a 'nuclear' $11.5 million employee discrimination verdict. Its CEO called it a 'blip.'
December 10, 2025, Business Insider

“Mohamed, whose lawyers have said she is Black and Egyptian, was awarded $1.5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages by the jury.

That amount meets the threshold of what is commonly known in the legal and insurance industries as a "nuclear verdict."

The median federal race-discrimination verdict in a seven-year period ending in 2021 tracked by the legal data company Westlaw was $150,000. The largest such verdict in Westlaw's dataset was less than $7 million.

The size of the verdict "is a staggering figure" for an employee-discrimination case, said Allison Williard, an employment lawyer with Washienko Law Group in Boston. "Getting a punitive damages award in and of itself is difficult because it is such a high bar to prove that the conduct at issue is extreme and outrageous."

Mohamed v. Society for Human Resource Management
Document #154 via CourtListener - Jury Verdict

***

Addendum, Case and Chronology - RaDonda Vaught

RaDonda Vaught made at least 10 mistakes in fatal Vanderbilt medication error, prosecutors say
March 27, 2019 - The Tennessean

“Prosecutors say at least 10 mistakes led ex-Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught to accidentally give a patient a fatal dose of the wrong medication two years ago, including Vaught overlooking a boldfaced warning immediately before injecting the drug.”

The RaDonda Vaught trial has ended. This timeline will help with the confusing case.
March 2, 2022 - The Tennessean 

“RaDonda Vaught, a Tennessee nurse, is the central figure in a criminal case that has captivated and horrified medical professionals nationwide.

Vaught, 36, of Bethpage, has been criminally indicted on abuse and reckless homicide charges after she allegedly gave a patient the wrong medication, leading to her death. Many say they fear her case could set a precedent of prosecuting medical professionals for honest mistakes, so the case has become a rallying cry for nurses.”

RaDonda Vaught Trial: State's Closing Arguments 
Video - March 25, 2022

“As to count one of the indictment - gross neglect of an impaired adult - the state asks you to find RaDonda Vaught guilty of this crime. As to count two of the indictment - reckless homicide - the state asks that you find the defendant guilty. Thank you.”

RaDonda Vaught Trial: Defense's Closing Arguments 
Video - March 25, 2022

“You heard probably, Tuesday afternoon as they parted Special Agent Smith said ‘I appreciate you owning up to what you did’ and RaDonda has said ‘Well I'm not going to lie.’ 

And here's how Special Agent Smith summed up this situation - she said, ‘Error is error, we're all human.’ ‘Error is error, we're all human,’ and I think that captures the essence of this terrible accident, this terrible mistake.

And what brings us here today, as I said this is a different case and the lives of critical care nurses. as you've learned over the last few days, are really different.”

RaDonda Vaught Trial: State's Rebuttal Following Defense’s Closing Arguments 
Video - March 25, 2022

“The immutable fact of this case is that Charlene Murphey is dead because RaDonda Vaught couldn't bother to pay attention to what she was doing.”

Nurse RaDonda Vaught’s Hearing Testimony 
Video - July 22, 2021

Q- “Do you recall seeing the ‘warning paralytic’ around the top of the vial?”

A- “If it was there I did not acknowledge it. Desensitizing alarm fatigue, and you get used to certain processes. I'm pretty sure it's a big factor in how a lot of mistakes happen. You get used to a certain thing. You trust what the computer says. You ignore that alarm because you've heard it ten thousand times and it's been, you know, false or inappropriate.”

The Criminal Conviction of RaDonda Vaught – Thoughts and Considerations
Blog, Hall Render Law Firm - May 13, 2022

“In addition to action taken by the Tennessee Board of Nursing, Nurse Vaught was ultimately convicted of “criminally negligent homicide” and “gross neglect of an impaired adult.” The charge of criminally negligent homicide required the state to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant engaged in “criminal negligence” that proximately caused a person’s death.

“Criminal negligence” requires a “substantial and unjustifiable risk” and the risk must be of such a nature and degree that “the failure to perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that an ordinary person would exercise under all the circumstances as viewed from the person’s standpoint.” 

Simple negligence, as defined in civil law (and as would be applied, for example, in a medical malpractice claim), is not sufficient for liability under the criminally negligent homicide standard. 

The charge of “gross neglect of an impaired adult” required the state to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant “knowingly, other than by accidental means, physically abuse or grossly neglect an impaired adult if the abuse or neglect results in serious mental or physical harm.”

Analyzing Abuse of Prosecutorial Discretion in the RaDonda Vaught Verdict
Gabriel Cripe, Cincinnati Law Review - May 12, 2022

“Vaught’s prosecution disincentives disclosure of medical errors…Following the verdict, the American Nurses Association (“ANA”) and the Tennessee Nurses Associations (“TNA”) released a statement, writing that “[t]here are more effective and just mechanisms to examine errors, establish system improvements and take corrective action. The non-intentional acts of Individual [sic] nurses like RaDonda Vaught should not be criminalized to ensure patient safety.”