Dr. Gustilo spoke out on CRT Policies that segregated care and placed divisive political agenda before patient care.
This Monday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the Minnesota Federal District Court’s dismissal of Gustilo v. Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. (HHS), a complaint the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC) filed on February 6, 2022, on behalf of Dr. Tara Gustilo. The complaint alleges racial discrimination, retaliation and reprisal by Dr. Gustilo’s employer, HHS. The case is now headed to a jury trial.
Dr. Tara Gustilo is a Filipino-American doctor whose two children are mixed race Black and Filipino. She chaired the Obstetrics-Gynecology (OBGYN) Department at HHS and took numerous steps to create a welcoming atmosphere and a multi-racial team at HHS, but opposed the racist and divisive Critical Race Theory (CRT) ideology pushed by HHS, which included segregated care models and political affiliations.
On April 29, 2021, HHS retaliated by removing Dr. Gustilo from her role as Chief of the OBGYN Department and significantly decreased her pay based on allegations HHS failed to support. This week’s court decision is a victory for Dr. Gustilo and the case against discriminatory CRT policies.
“Political ideology and discrimination have no place in our healthcare system,” said James Dickey, Attorney for the Upper Midwest Law Center. “Hennepin Healthcare System Inc.’s retaliation violated Dr. Gustilo’s constitutional rights, and the Court of Appeals recognized that this case has merit and deserves to be heard. Dr. Gustilo is an exemplary doctor who is entitled to voice her beliefs and fight back against their unjust and discriminatory practices that put a political agenda over patient care.”
Dr. Gustilo was lauded by her colleagues, superiors, and patients alike, received above standard marks for quality performance across the board, and led one of the best-performing departments among HHS. It was not until she spoke out against CRT that she was deemed unqualified, and her character degraded and questioned as a basis for her demotion.
The lawsuit seeks damages for the humiliation, embarrassment, degradation of character, and pay decrease Dr. Gustilo faced as a result of HHS’s unjust retaliation.
For more information about this case, see the complaint.
