Naval hospital removes staff seen in inappropriate pictures with newborns

Naval Hospital Jacksonville, not pictured here, issued a statement shortly after the images began circulating. (iStock)

A hospital in Florida said it has identified and removed the employees who were pictured making inappropriate gestures with a newborn baby and making another one dance to a rap video. The photos, allegedly taken by a nurse employed at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, were captured on Snapchat and quickly shared on social media.

In one photo, an unidentified staff member is reportedly giving the middle finger gesture to a newborn, alongside the caption “How I currently feel about these mini Satans,” WJAX-TV reported. The next post allegedly featured a nurse making a newborn dance with rap music playing in the background. A Facebook user blurred the newborns’ faces out before sharing screenshots of the photos and video on Facebook, and urged others to call Naval Hospital Jacksonville and report the incident.

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The hospital quickly responded on Monday with a statement posted to its Facebook page, but did not identify the staff members by name nor share the photos being circulated on social media.

“We are aware of a video/photo posted online,” the statement from the Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s commanding officer said. “It’s outrageous, unacceptable, incredibly unprofessional, and cannot be tolerated. We have identified the staff members involved. They have been removed from patient care and they will be handled by the legal system and military justice. We’re in the process of notifying the patient’s parents.”