Hosp Staffers Removed over Newborn Pics

Navy Removes Staffers Over Disturbing Newborn Pics

They called babies 'mini Satans'

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Naval Hospital Jacksonville   (US Navy)

(NEWSER) – The Navy says two female staffers at a hospital in Florida have been suspended over "outrageous, unacceptable, incredibly unprofessional" treatment of newborn babies. In a photo posted on Snapchat, a staffer at Naval Hospital Jacksonville gives the finger to a newborn, with the caption "How I currently feel about these mini Satans," the AP reports. In a video, a staffer makes a newborn dance to rap music, swinging its arms to a 50 Cent song. The video identifies the women as "naval nurses," thought the Navy says they are corpsmen, the Washington Post reports. Hospital spokeswoman Jeanne Casey says the incident "cannot be tolerated" and the workers have been removed from patient care.

The hospital says it is in the process of notifying the parents of the babies, who appear to have been just hours old. Navy Surgeon Gen. Vice Adm. Forrest Faison says commanding officers have been told to personally reassure women planning to give birth at Navy facilities. He says workers are now banned from using their cell phones in patient care areas. Authorities say the two staffers, who are being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, will be dealt with by the legal system. Attorney Sean Cronin, who has filed multiple malpractice suits, says he expects the staffers to face criminal charges as well as dishonorable discharges for their "malicious" treatment of the newborns, KSAT reports.