A USPS postwoman in North Carolina says she was "penalized" for leaving her mail truck after experiencing a medical crisis during her route, per the Atlanta Black Star.
Mail carrier Marshun Brooks said she was delivering mail in Charlotte last month when she started experiencing chest pains and difficulty breathing. Before calling 911, Brooks said she informed her managers of the situation and the location of her truck through the scanner but she didn't receive a response.
Brooks went to the hospital and was later released, When she returned to her mail station to check her truck keys, Brooks saw her supervisor whose "eyes just start bulging like ‘Oh my god,'" the mail carrier recalled.
"And she asked me where’s the postal vehicle? And I was like, ‘It’s in the same location that I sent in a text message.’ I said, you know, ‘This is ridiculous. I had a medical emergency and you all didn’t do anything about it," Brooks said.
Brooks returned to work with medical documents only to be informed by a supervisor that she had been suspended without pay due to "abandoning her route."The mail carrier believes the move was "unfair" and "inhumane" because she followed protocol and communicated the situation to her managers.
A spokesperson released a statement in the wake of Brooks' allegations.
“When a carrier is having a medical emergency while delivering mail, they are trained to seek medical attention immediately, which can be done by going to a nearby emergency room or calling 911,” the spokesperson said.
Brooks said she later received a letter that she could return to work on December 19. However, the letter didn't address her suspension or back pay.
“They don’t want to take no accountability,” Brooks said.
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