Press Release: New Evidence of Sex and Age Discrimination Emerges as Amended Complaint Filed Against Former Director of Mount Sinai’s Arnhold Institute for Global Health

Last April, eight current and former employees of Mount Sinai Health System’s world-renowned Arnhold Institute for Global Health (AIGH), a pre-eminent institution for research into improving health care for underserved populations around the world, filed a federal complaint alleging sex and age discrimination against Mount Sinai and its employees Dr. Prabhjot Singh, then-Director of AIGH, and Dr. Dennis Charney, Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine, as well as two others. Now the Plaintiffs’ attorneys McAllister Olivarius have filed an Amended Complaint detailing new claims that bolster the previous allegations regarding Singh’s discriminatory behavior at AIGH and how this was reinforced by the overall climate at the Icahn School.

The initial Complaint alleged that Dr. Singh, on becoming Director at age 32, deliberately marginalized and undermined female employees – especially distinguished senior doctors who had played a crucial role in establishing AIGH’s sterling reputation – trying to force them to resign.

Since the lawsuit became public, hundreds of alumni, current students, and even current employees at the medical school have signed open letters to Mount Sinai’s Board of Trustees supporting the Plaintiff’s allegations of mistreatment and asking for action to change the harsh, “top-down” culture.

The letter from over 400 current faculty and staff – including some senior faculty who are only two levels below Charney, Dean for the last 12 years and a powerful figure – said they were “saddened and profoundly disturbed” by the lawsuit’s allegations and calling for a “culture shift.” Similarly, more than 300 current students (some since graduated) signed a letter urging Mount Sinai’s leadership to “prevent further perpetuation of an abusive culture.”

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE

READ THE AMENDED COMPLAINT IN FULL HERE