CAIR calls for firing of Hopkins doctor after social media comments

By Barry Simms

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — The Council on American Islamic Relations held a news conference Tuesday calling for the firing of a doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

CAIR took issue with comments Dr. Darren Klugman made on social media regarding the Israel-Hamas war. The council also wants the Maryland Board of Physicians to revoke his license.

“Dr. Klugman’s role requires him to care for all children. His views tell us he views Palestinian children as subhuman. These words reflect hate,” CAIR Maryland director Zainab Chaudry.

Chaudry is has come under fire for her own social media posts. She was temporarily suspended from the Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention.

“I categorically and unequivocally reject any allegations of antisemitism,” she said.

Some are standing by Klugman. An online petition has thousands of signatures. The petition says, “Dr. Klugman posted several strongly worded tweets on Oct. 7 and 8,” when Hamas attacks in Israel were still ongoing.

Klugman is currently on administrative leave from his duties as director of the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Unit at Hopkins.

“I am appalled that Johns Hopkins would employ such an individual,” one woman said.

The woman, who did not share her name, is the mother of a 14-month-old boy with a congenital heart condition. She said she isn’t sure if Klugman has had any contact with her son, but she knows it is a possibility. She said she will no longer seek care at the hospital as long as he is employed there.

“As a parent, I want the very best medical care for my baby which is why we chose Hopkins in the first place. On top of those fears of what could go wrong during his surgery, to know that Hopkins is knowingly employing a doctor who has such hateful and radical views about an entire group of people brings doubts to my mind about their ability to give my child the very best care possible,” she said.

Johns Hopkins Medicine released a statement Tuesday afternoon, saying in part, “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.”

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