Racism
My opinion ... Vanderbilt got this wrong

Vanderbilt suspends doctor after complaint about his public protest of white supremacy on Twitter

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

WAGATWE WANJUKI ... Vanderbilt suspends doctor after complaint about his public protest of white supremacy on Twitter

Screenshot of Dr. Eugene Gu, medical resident at Vanderbilt University speaking about being at the March for Science. While people are crying and clutching their pearls over Trump’s latest racist comments, institutions like Vanderbilt University are still punishing people who hold opposite views. Medical resident Dr. Eugune Gu, who has over 110,000 Twitter followers and a history of posting about social justice, is being punished for his public stance against white supremacy. According to the Duke Chronicle, a patient’s mother complained to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center where Gu is a third-year medical resident and demanded that he not take care of their child. I guess she wants her child to receive medical care from a nice racist like Donald Trump? Unfortunately, it appears that Vanderbilt didn’t just remove Gu from the child’s care; they punished him, too. According to emails obtained by The Chronicle with the name of the patient and their mother redacted to protect patient privacy, VUMC administration officials discussed investigating all the mother’s complaints regarding his social media posts on Nov. 8. That day, Seth Karp, chairman of the department of surgery, requested that someone document the mother's complaints about Gu and get them to him by the end of the next day, Nov. 9. One day later, Gu was placed on administrative leave. This is just an example of a social media post that the complaining mother finds offensive. View image on Twitter View image on Twitter Eugene Gu, MD ✔ @eugenegu I'm an Asian-American doctor and today I #TakeTheKnee to fight white supremacy. 7:50 AM - Sep 24, 2017 9,476 9,476 Replies 49,133 49,133 Retweets 169,928 169,928 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Unsurprisingly, Gu says that the mother wasn’t just content with lashing out at Gu and attacking him professionally. She’s been cyberbullying him, too. He told the Duke Chronicle: Who would say that fighting against racism would be unprofessional? It’s literally a part of a doctor’s profession to stand up for patients who are most vulnerable. I find myself in this bizzaro world. I feel like I’m upside down. I’m trying to be a force of social good, and Vanderbilt punishes me for it. Gu was forced on administrative leave in November and he’s back but is still on probation until March. Shame on that mother for hating an anti-racist and being so vindictive. And shame on Vanderbilt for being willing to throw one of its doctors under the bus for daring to speak out against bigotry and white supremacy. Eugene Gu, MD ✔ @eugenegu Nobody should be punished for fighting against white supremacy and workplace violence—especially not at a major academic institution. Bullying, racism, and physical violence will never silence me. #TimesUp http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2018/01/vanderbilt-puts-duke-med-alum-on-leave-after-complaint-about-kneeling-to-protest-white-supremacy … 7:25 PM - Jan 9, 2018 Vanderbilt puts Duke Med alum on leave after complaint about kneeling to protest white supremacy Duke medicine alumnus Eugene Gu has been no stranger to controversy. dukechronicle.com 869 869 Replies 6,103 6,103 Retweets 13,863 13,863 likes