Lawyer withdraws from suspended professor's lawsuit against University of Iowa

The lawyer for a suspended University of Iowa radiology professor has withdrawn from his whistleblower lawsuit against school officials.

Iowa City attorney Rockne Cole stopped representing Malik Juweid last week after telling Judge Patrick Grady his client would not show up for a hearing.

In a motion to withdraw, Cole says he has great respect for Juweid but the two "can no longer maintain common ground on litigation strategy." Grady approved the motion Monday.

Juweid has been on leave since January 2010 for what the university calls unprofessional and disruptive behaviors. Juweid claims he's being punished for speaking out about discrimination and patient safety issues.

Meanwhile, the university on Thursday scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Juweid in June as part of a process that could lead to his firing.