We mentioned this case in a Quick Take back in August. Professor Norman Wang is now seeking damages and reinstatement.
U. Pittsburgh’s University Times reports:
Lawsuit filed against Pitt on behalf of cardiology professor Norman WangThe Center for Individual Rights has filed a lawsuit against the University of Pittsburgh on behalf of Norman Wang, an embattled School of Medicine professor who penned a controversial white paper that criticized the effectiveness of affirmative action efforts in the medical field.The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in the Federal District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, said Pitt violated Wang’s First Amendment rights. It’s seeking damages for defamation from Pitt, UPMC, the American Heart Association and several Pitt employees for allegedly claiming Wang misused academic sources.It also asks for Wang to be fully reinstated to his teaching positions, which he claims he was removed from in retaliation to the paper.“As a result of defendants’ actions, a cloud also continues to hang over (Wang’s) reputation and, accordingly, his ability to obtain other employment is constrained,” the lawsuit said.This is the latest in a series of events surrounding Wang’s white paper, originally published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on March 24.The paper resurfaced in August to heavy criticism from cardiologists, while Pitt administrators distanced themselves from the paper’s claims.The JAHA redacted the paper that month saying that it did not represent the organization’s values. In response to the backlash against the paper, UPMC removed Wang from his position as program director of the UPMC Electrophysiology Fellowship in August.
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