One hospital staff member made a comment when Merritt Smith’s 4-year-old came in to get treatment on a cut on Oct. 6, prompting the mom to take to Facebook to voice her distaste with what he said.
After her daughter had a small cut and needed two stitches when a boy in her class hit her with a metal teapot, Smith said one of Nationwide Children's Hospital's staff members made a comment that caused her to take to social media, according to CBS News. Smith said the staff member told her daughter that "I bet (the boy) likes you."
"As soon as I heard it, I knew that is where it begins," Smith wrote in a Facebook post. "That statement is where the idea that hurting is flirting begins to set a tone for what is acceptable behavior."
Smith added that she was inspired to write about it after a man in a “position of influence” made a comment that she felt was setting a poor example. "It is time to take responsibility for the messages we as a society give our children," she said. "Do not tell my 4-year-old who needs stitches from a boy at school hitting her, 'I bet he likes you.' No."
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus, Ohio told CBS News they did not know about the comment and issued an apology to the family. "Although we know the comment was made with no malicious intent, it is our wish to apologize and express to you that this is something we are taking seriously. This comment does not represent our philosophy as an institution,” they said in a statement.
"We have reached out to the family, met with the employee and their management team, as well as our leadership in order to understand the situation and take measures to prevent this from happening again.”
Some ways to flirt, according to Smith? “Draw a picture, write a letter, (or write) a poem, but do not confuse aggression with affection,” she said.
Read more at CBS News.
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