LI Mom Claims Local Dentist Office Discriminated Against Her

MEDFORD, NY — A Medford woman claimed she was discriminated against while bringing her 4-year-old son for a procedure at a dentist office in Medford. In September, Meghan Keenan said she brought her son to Pediatric Dentistry of Suffolk and Nassau for a tooth removal. The mother of two said she used the practice for nearly five years but recently experienced "sheer discrimination and humiliation" there.

Keenan told Patch a receptionist called her to inform the office had a different identification on file.

"At first I thought they meant a client or patient ID, but when I asked for clarification the other associate with whom I had this encounter with turned around and began to interject as written in my statement," she said.

However, the situation escalated after a front-desk associate, described by Keenan as "rude," asked her if she was her son's "biological" and "real" mother. She said that despite going to the same dental office for about five years, it was the first time she was asked if she was the biological parent of her child. She claimed she tried to explain that her son legally has two mother, but the associate continued to ask louder while "clapping her hands in her face," asking who the "real, biological mom" was.

"Their policy states to ask for a license and had they done so this all would've never occurred but the associate's intention wasn't to acquire information it was to humiliate me," Keenan told Patch. "And unfortunately she succeeded."

Eventually, Keenan was forced to say she was not the biological mother and the associate continued to "badger and harass her," she told Patch. Keenan said that the associate "falsely reported" that her son's biological mother needed to be present for his appointment.

"Shortly after, we were asked to leave with my son in tears," Keenan said. "Though my wife was able to clear it up over the phone and his procedure thankfully got done, this very unprofessional stranger asked me to validate my parental status in front of my child and a waiting room of strangers. I was made to feel small while being asked to relay completely irrelevant information. If this was a dire situation in a hospital setting and I encountered this misinformed associate, would I have been denied the proper and necessary medical care for me child?"

Keenan said she spoke to the dentist office through a representative over the past six months.

"Initially, I wanted them to do the right thing and reconsider their employment relationship with the awful associate who made me feel like I had to validate who I am to my children, but they refused," she said. "I agreed to settle in silence if they would agree to proper training of their staff and they failed to agree."

She also claims that she requested an apology which was rejected and eventually the company offered me $200 in exchange for "her silence."

"No amount of money could ever reverse the discourse and subsequent hurt and humiliation I had to face that day, but $200 wouldn’t have even covered his procedure," she said. "Monetary offers continued with no further consideration of my other reasonably requested terms. I even suggested they utilize the money offered as a donation to an LGBT foundation, no response."

Now, Keenan says she wanted to share her story to warn others of the situation.

"It is an absolute shame what occurred to me and my family that day and thereafter," she said. "It is my hope that no family ever gives their company the opportunity to do it to them and that no one ever has to feel small at the hands of ignorance."

The couple has not been back to the office since their son completed the procedure.

Patch reached out to the dental office for comment but did not receive a call back. This story will be updated with any comment from the office.