( CNN ) -- A nurse is suing a hospital , claiming it agreed to a man 's request that no African-Americans care for his baby . The lawsuit accuses managers at Hurley Medical Center in Flint of reassigning Tonya Battle , who has worked at the facility for 25 years , based on the color of her skin . The man approached Battle , while she was caring for his child in the hospital 's neonatal intensive care unit , asking to speak to her supervisor , according to the complaint filed in January by Battle 's attorney . She pointed the charge nurse in his direction . The man , who is not named in the filing , allegedly showed her a tattoo that may have been `` a swastika of some kind '' and told her that he did n't want African-Americans involved in his baby 's care . The request , according to the lawsuit , made its way through management ranks , and was granted . Battle 's manager called her at home to tell her she would be reassigned -- and why , the suit says . She was shocked and in disbelief , her attorney Julie Gafkay told CNN affiliate WNEM . `` She was very upset . She was very offended . '' The hospital did not immediately respond late Friday to a CNN request for comment . A note made its way onto prominent spot on the baby 's medical chart , according to the suit : `` Please , no African-American nurses to care for ... baby per dad 's request . '' The hospital 's lawyer then objected to the decision , and the note was removed . The staff then told the father that they could no longer honor his request , according to the complaint . Even so , the lawsuits alleges , for more than a month no African-American nurses were assigned to care of the child . CNN 's Marlena Baldacci contributed to this report .
Tonya Battle worked for the hospital for 25 years . A father told her supervisor he did n't want black people caring for his baby , suit says . He showed the supervisor a tattoo while speaking with her . A note on the baby 's chart asked that no African-Americans care for the child , suit alleges .