One of the region's top cancer doctors is suing NYU Langone, alleging the hospital demoted him for re-posting social media in support of Israel and calls the health system's move religious discrimination.
Dr. Benjamin Neel, previously the director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, had his title stripped following a series of re-posts in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Neel's lawsuit alleges the hospital's action over his re-posting of satirical cartoons critical of Hamas amounted to religious discrimination. The oncologist's civil suit is seeking more than $500,000.
The oncologist is not the only doctor facing repercussions from social media use. NYU has also suspended a doctor accused of posting pro-Palestinian content.
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Neel's attorneys point to that very fact in the lawsuit filed this week on behalf of the doctor. After suspending the other doctor, Neel claims NYU looked to the director as a "sacrificial lamb" so the hospital could "feign impartiality."
"Dr. Neel's views with respect to Israel and Palestine are nuanced and deeply interwoven with his Jewish faith," the lawsuit claims, adding that they were not "the expressions of someone espousing violence."
NYU defended its decision to penalize Neel, noting "several times last month, we reminded all employees of our high standards, as well as our Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy. Nonetheless Dr. Ben Neel, as a leader of our institution, disregarded these standards in a series of public social media posts."
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Neel's loss of his position as director of the center center came shortly after another NYU doctor, Zaki Masoud, was suspended for a social media post appearing to defend terrorism. There's now a Change.org petition with more than 80,000 signatures seeking Masoud's re-instatement.
News 4 was unable to reach Masoud.
Neel and his lawyers decline to speak on the record, but in his lawsuit, Neels claims his social media post was thoughtful political commentary, and suggested Masoud's was a celebration of violence.
On the Change.org petition, Masoud's supporters said his social media posts are protected political speech.
