Mother, Boyfriend of Eutisha Rennix File Suit Against City of New York

By Alicia Cruz
The Black Urban Times

The mother of 25-year-old Eutisha Rennix has filed a lawsuit against the City of New York after two paramedics allegely walked away from her pregnant daughter as she lay dying of an asthma attack.

Attorney Sanford Rubenstein is representing Rennix' mother, as well as the father of her unborn child.

Rennix and her premature baby both died at Long Island College Hospital two hours after she was transported there from the Au Bon Pain coffee shop in Brooklyn's Metrotech Center.

The lawsuit claims that on December 9, 2009, Rennix became ill while at work. Co-worker Tareen Brown approached paramedics Melisa Jackson and Jason Green, who were in the shop ordering bagels while on their break, and told them that Rennix had collapsed in a back room.

"They said, 'We're on our break, so there's nothing we can do,' " Brown recalled.

Another worker, David Waters, said Jackson waited three minutes before calling the EMS dispatch office where she worked -- several floors above the shop.

Employees of the shop stated that Jackson and Green then waited another five minutes for their bagel, and refused to even examine let alone to render aid to the dying, pregnant Rennix.

Shortly after the EMTs walked out, two firefighters entered and jumped into action, with one trying to keep Rennix still as she convulsed and the other calling 911, according to a shop manager.

Rubenstein further claims that when an ambulance from Long Island College Hospital arrived at Metro-Tech, it didn't have the equipment necessary to help Rennix, who was pregnant.

Kate O'Brien Ahlers, a spokeswoman for the city Law Department said the city would look into the suit.

"This involved a very tragic incident, and the city will review the case thoroughly," said Ahlers.

Jackson and Green, who were reportedly dating at the time of the incident, were suspended for 30 days as a result of abandoning Rennix. The Brooklyn district attorney’s office has been investigating the Rennix case, but to date, no charges have been filed against either paramedic.

Through their attorney, Douglas Rosenthal, both denied reports that they refused to help Rennix and wrote statements blaming their inability to help the young mother on "department protocol."

"The EMTs were prevented by protocol, training and regulations to intervene more acutely, as they currently do not work in a medical capacity, and were equipped with neither medicine or equipment," said Rosenthal.

The NY Daily News reported that Jackson did telephone dispatch, eventually, but a source stated that when the 23-year-old EMT called 911 she told the dispatcher, "I got a job."

After verifying the shop's address, the dispatcher seemed to recognize Jackson's voice and said, "Ohhhh, Melisa," according to the source. "Don't put my name in it!" Jackson shot back. The dispatcher replied, "I'm not," the source said.

Green was shot and killed July 21 outside a SoHo nightclub he and friends were partying at. Rumors circulated that the disgraced EMT's death may have been retaliation for Rennix' death, which NYPD investigators quickly squashed.

Previous Stories on Eutisha Rennix Case

New York EMTs Release Statement Defending Their Actions
EMT Dionne McKoy Tried to Help Eutisha Rennix
Disgraced EMTs Back on Job After Suspensions
UPDATE: EMT Melisa Jackson Told Dispatcher, 'Hide my Name...'
EMT Jason Green Shot Dead Outside SoHo Nightclub