Former U. of Iowa radiologist petitions judge to be reinstated

Former University of Iowa radiologist Malik Juweid, MD, who was fired in August 2011, has filed a petition seeking to be reinstated, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Juweid’s petition argued that University of Iowa president Sally Mason and assistant attorney general George Carroll had a conflict of interest in the decision to terminate Juweid’s employment because Mason was a defendant in a whistle-blowing lawsuit brought by Juweid against the university, according to the Press-Citizen report. Carroll represented Mason in that case.

The petition asked a Polk County, Iowa, judge to reverse the decision to terminate, reinstate Juweid, reimburse him for lost pay and benefits, and grant a new administrative hearing.

Juweid had been accused of harassing coworkers and placed on leave for seven months before his firing for disruptive behavior.

However, as previously reported in Health Imaging, Juweid’s lawsuit alleged that then-radiology department head Laurie L. Fajardo, MD, MBA, had harassed him by making racist comments, including calling Juweid an “academic terrorist.” Fajardo later stepped down from her position after a department review criticized Fajardo for low department morale and characterized her as an ineffective leader.