In 2010, four Filipino nurses working in a hospital in Baltimore, Maryland USA lost their jobs because of speaking in Tagalog. The nurses, Corina Capunitan Yap, Anna Rowena Rosales, Hachelle Natano, and Jazziel Granada fought back because they believed that they have been a victim of discrimination and filed a complaint against the US hospital. They argued that they only used Tagalog for communication during rest periods and not in front of the patients and other hospital staff.

A year later, their efforts paid off as the US government took their sides and agreed that they had indeed been a victim of unfair termination.

A report that appeared in the Asian Journal said that the US Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) said that the nurses were victims of discrimination.

According to Gerald Kiel, EEOC Baltimore field office director, the employer, Bon Secours Hospital System, appeared to have singled out the Filipina nurses.

He said, “Other employees spoke Spanish and other languages contrary to the policies and were not disciplined. In addition, it appears more serious infractions of work rules were not comparably punished."

The office director also said that the four Filipino nurses were subjected to “unequal terms and conditions of employment, hostile work environment, disciplinary action and discharge because of their national origin."

Even if Bon Secours Hospital implemented an English-only rule for duty personnel in and outside its emergency department in 2010, the EEOC said that the rule “constitutes unlawful discrimination" because of the way it was applied to the Filipina nurses.

The Bon Secours Hospital are ordered by EEOC to settle with the nurses an dthat the desciison is final

Kiel said, “The commission now invites the parties to join with it in reaching a just resolution of this matter."