US government sues Ohio hospital over wrongful firing of surgeon for 'being Jewish'

An Ohio hospital is being sued by the US government for firing a surgeon for "being Jewish," according to the newly filed lawsuit.

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against Mercy Health in Youngstown for violating federal law by subjecting a Jewish orthopedic surgeon to unfavorable terms and conditions of employment and "firing him because of his religion and race, shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel."

The surgeon - named in other media as Dr Ian Walton - had a successful practice with Mercy for many years and performed well, "including exceeding Mercy’s productivity goals", according to the lawsuit.

However, Mercy reportedly subjected Walton to antisemitic remarks throughout his employment and ultimately fired him in November 2023, advising him that he was "being terminated for a reason other than work performance."

“After years of antisemitic harassment, shortly after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the charging party faced a barrage of comments in the workplace blaming ‘the Jews’ for the attack," said EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas.

EEOC attempted to reach a settlement before filing the lawsuit

Lucas also said Walton was excluded from scheduled meetings and had his surgery time blocks reduced. Shortly thereafter, his contract was terminated.

"The EEOC will not hesitate to bring litigation to protect Jewish workers from unlawful discrimination and ensure they do not face adverse action simply because they are Jewish. Antisemitism has no place in the American workplace," Lucas added.

This alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion and race. The EEOC filed suit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

Walton’s Jewish identity was not a secret at his workplace. The lawsuit said that he had family photographs in his office depicting relatives wearing kippahs and prayer shawls.