Nurse Mulls Suing New Jersey for Forced Quarantine

The nurse who was forced into quarantine in a New Jersey hospital after treating Ebola patients in West Africa has been allowed to return to her home in Maine.

Kaci Hickox called her forced isolation in a hospital tent "inhumane" and is now considering suing the state of New Jersey.

Hickox left the hospital Monday afternoon. Norman Siegel, one of her attorneys, said he plans to speak with Hickox on Tuesday about their strategy for dealing with the courts of law and public opinion.

"Her civil rights were violated. At a minimum she could bring an action for damages," he said.

Meanwhile, Maine officials want Hickox to remain in her house until 21 days after the last possible exposure to the virus.

But another attorney for Hickox, Steve Hyman, said states should follow federal health guidelines, which only require monitoring of health care workers returning from the Ebola hot zone.

"She's a very good person who did very good work and deserves to be honored, not detained, for it," Hyman said.

Nine states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Illinois, and Georgia, now require a 21-day quarantine for workers returning from West Africa.