A Male Nurse Hired to Work in the Emergency Department

A male nurse hired to work in the emergency department is observed throwing a contaminated needle into the trash can. The team leader reprimands the nurse for not appropriately disposing of sharps. The nurse states, "You don't care that I threw the needle in the trash. You just want an all-female staff," putting the team leader in a defensive position. This communication technique is known as:

A) straw man.
B) red herring.
C) slippery slope.
D) confusing cause and effect.