Doctor Announces $25 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against Houston Methodist Following Suspension

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A doctor in Texas is suing the health care institution that suspended her for allegedly purveying “dangerous misinformation.”

Medical workers and pedestrians cross an intersection outside of the Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, on June 9, 2021. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Dr. Mary Bowden, who now runs her own clinic, is seeking $25 million from Houston Methodist for alleged defamation.

Bowden became concerned that the COVID-19 vaccines were not preventing contraction of the virus that causes COVID-19, and spoke out against vaccine mandates and, later, the vaccines themselves, according to the 19-page lawsuit, which was slated to be filed in Harris County District Court.

After Bowden began sharing her opinions on social media, Houston Methodist and its CEO, Dr. Marc Boom, “retaliated” against her “in an unprecedented manner,” the filing states.

“Without notice, they published false and defamatory statements to the press and on social media, affording no due process, acting contrary to and with reckless disregard for both the letter and spirit of Methodist’s bylaw,” it says.

Statements

On Nov. 12, 2021, Houston Methodist took to Twitter and released a five-part statement, saying Bowden, who had recently joined the hospital’s staff, “is using her social media accounts to express her personal and political opinions about the COVID-19 vaccine and treatments.”

“These opinions, which are harmful to the community, do not reflect reliable medical evidence or the values of Houston Methodist, where we have treated more than 25,000 COVID-19 inpatients, and where all our employees and physicians are vaccinated to protect our patients,” the hospital said.

“Dr. Bowden, who has never admitted a patient at Houston Methodist Hospital, is spreading dangerous misinformation which is not based in science,” it added.

Boom, meanwhile, told KHOU-TV that he and other hospital officials decided to suspend Bowden for “her inappropriate behavior, including spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.”

“As a physician, I am personally offended by her behavior and by her misleading comments about COVID-19 and our hospital system,” he said.

The statements triggered numerous articles, from both local and outside media outlets.

‘False and Defamatory’

Bowden, who later resigned from Houston Methodist, says the statements were “materially false and defamatory.”

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