CAIR files complaint against Johns Hopkins doctor, says he used racist statements targeting Palestinians on social media
BALTIMORE, Md. (DC News Now) — A Maryland doctor has been placed on leave after the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed a complaint against him, alleging that he made racist posts on social media.
In a news release on Tuesday, Nov. 14, CAIR said that Dr. Darren Klugman, who works with Johns Hopkins University, made posts that targeted Palestinians, endorsing genocide against them.
CAIR said that the posts “referred to Palestinians as ‘barbaric animals,’ expressed his support for their ‘large scale slaughter’ and forced displacement, and labeled them as ‘people who rape and murder civilians.'”
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The complaint, which was filed with the Maryland Board of Physicians, said that the posts “raised substantial ethical and professional concerns” and called for “an immediate investigation” into confirming whether or not Klugman made those comments. The complaint asked for “his medical license to be revoked” immediately if these claims were verified.
The comments, which have been widely shared and circulated, have caused deep distress within communities across Baltimore, and have sparked legitimate fears about the potential impact of such sentiments on the well-being of vulnerable populations – particularly, Dr. Klugman’s patients at the Johns Hopkins University Children’s Center. The hospital is located in the heart of a very diverse city which is also home to many Palestinian American families, some who have had family members killed in Gaza.
Paragraph from CAIR’s complaint to the Maryland Board of Physicians
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DC News Now reached out to Klugman for a statement. He declined to respond and directed us to Johns Hopkins, which responded with the following:
We at Johns Hopkins share the concern of many about the deeply disturbing social media posts made by a faculty member in the School of Medicine regarding the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. The faculty member who made these statements has been placed on leave, and thus will have no interaction with students or patients while we conduct a thorough investigation under our policies and procedures.
Johns Hopkins Medicine and Johns Hopkins University are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for working, learning and patient care for every member of our community and all those we serve. Statements that explicitly threaten or extol violence against groups or individuals on the basis of national origin, race or religion violate our policies and do not represent our values.
Kim Hoppe, Vice President of Communications and Chief Communications Officer for Johns Hopkins Medicine
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