September 5, 2017
Surgical Resident Files Civil Lawsuit Against St. Louis University
A civil lawsuit was filed by a surgical resident last week, claiming multiple misconduct issues.
The resident, Mandy Rice, filed the claim against St. Louis University; Carl Freeman, the chief of the trauma service; Catherine Wittgen, the director of the university’s surgery residency program.
Rice says she has to repeat her fourth year of surgical residency due to the multiple failures and retaliatory behaviors by her superiors. She claims the leaders discriminated against her because she used to be a registered nurse. Allegedly, she was told her past would affect her ability to be a surgeon.
Rice says that Freeman would use phrases such “stop being a nurse” and that she was “too nice” and “too much of a nurse.”
Rice also points out multiple violations the school made against her.
Earlier this year, she failed to pass a training exam, but was not given a faculty mentor for an additional year.
Rice felt particularly retaliated against by Wittgen when she decided to appeal her superior’s decision to make her repeat her fourth year. She is seeking $25,000 in damages and court costs, including two different counts of policy violation and breach of contract.
Rice is also seeking to be promoted to her fifth-year residency with the rest of her class.
Only a few months ago, the university’s medical school lost its accreditation and was placed on probation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, due to curriculum gaps and other issues.