A physician at one of Ottawa's largest hospitals is taking legal action after alleging the institution she worked for refused to act on findings from its own internal investigation.
Dr. Marisa Azad has filed a $2.3-million lawsuit against The Ottawa Hospital, alleging that she was subjected to bullying and sexual harassment by male colleagues, and that the hospital failed to protect her even after an investigation confirmed the conduct.
The Allegations
According to the suit, Dr. Azad alleges that her male colleagues engaged in a pattern of bullying and sexual harassment, and that she reported it through the hospital's internal processes. An investigation was conducted, and, she alleges, it found in her favour, concluding that she had indeed been bullied and harassed.
Despite that finding, Dr. Azad alleges The Ottawa Hospital failed to take meaningful action against those responsible or to adequately address what she experienced. The lawsuit, seeking $2.3 million in damages, is the result of that alleged institutional inaction.
A Broader Issue in Medicine
Dr. Azad's case reflects a challenge that extends well beyond Ottawa. Workplace harassment and bullying in medicine, particularly directed at women, has been documented extensively across Canadian hospitals and medical schools. Female physicians face higher rates of harassment than their male counterparts, and institutional responses have often been criticized as inadequate.
For Ottawa's medical community, this lawsuit raises serious questions about The Ottawa Hospital's workplace culture and its obligations to staff who come forward with harassment complaints.
The Hospital's Response
The Ottawa Hospital had not issued a public statement on the lawsuit as of the time of publication. The case is expected to proceed through the courts. Dr. Azad's lawsuit serves as a reminder that institutions have not only a legal but a moral obligation to follow through when their own investigations confirm misconduct.
Source: National Post
