A jury found that Boston Children's Hospital retaliated against a former employee by firing her after she sued for gender discrimination, The Boston Globe reported Nov. 11.
Six notes:
1. Although Boston Children's was ordered to pay Amy Tishelman, PhD, $1.8 million in back pay and damages, the jury did not find the hospital discriminated against Dr. Tishelman.
2. Dr. Tishelman, a former research director at the hospital's Gender Multispeciality Service clinic, is a psychologist and leader in youth gender medicine.
3. She sued the hospital in 2020, alleging her supervisors discriminated against her based on sex and age, such as being underpaid in comparison to male colleagues.
4. Dr. Tishelman also alleged demeaning treatment from supervisors, while Boston Children's attorneys argued that tensions stemmed from her delayed patient evaluation reports.
5. She was fired in 2021 for allegedly violating patient privacy rules related to HIPAA. Dr. Tishelman's lawyer argued there were irregularities in the hospital's investigation of the alleged violations, such as a lack of written reports.
6. The $1.8 million award for emotional distress, back pay, future loss of pay and interest was based on the finding of retaliation. No punitive damages were awarded, as the jury did not find the retaliation to be "intentional and reckless or indifferent."
Boston Children's does not comment on litigation, a spokesperson for the hospital confirmed to Becker's.