Embattled UI professor offers resignation terms

A suspended University of Iowa radiology professor has sent a letter of resignation to the school after a lengthy battle that played out in the courts and is still costing the UI money.

Malik Juweid's former attorney Rockne Cole earlier this month withdrew his whistleblower lawsuit against UI officials, telling a judge his client would not show up for a hearing and that the two no longer could maintain “common ground on litigation strategy.”

Juweid has been on leave since January 2010 for what university officials call unprofessional and disruptive behavior. Juweid said he's being punished for speaking out about discrimination and patient safety issues.

A judge last month ordered the UI to continue paying Juweid until the UI wrapped up its disciplinary action against him. The UI last week scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Juweid in June as part of the process that could lead to his firing.

The UI last week scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Juweid in June as part of the process that could lead to his firing.

Juweid early Thursday sent an email to UI President Sally Mason, and copied it to The Gazette, offering his resignation from his position as medical director of nuclear medicine and tenured professor of radiology. He is asking that his resignation, according to the email, be effective in December “and not a day sooner.”

“Fortunately, I have succeeded in securing a temporary position as a nuclear physician in Germany with an effective date of 1/1/2013,” he wrote in the email. “Until then, I am completely dependent on the salary/compensation from the university, which is to continue until resignation or termination per the order of Honorable Judge Grady.”

Juweid wrote, in the email, that his health insurance “must remain active” until Dec. 31 because his family is dependent on “very expensive medication that we cannot afford but is currently covered by the insurance.”

UI spokesman Tom Moore this morning told The Gazette that university officials are aware of Juweid's resignation offer, but he said, “President Mason told me she does not receive Dr. Juweid's emails.”

Although Juweid has offered his resignation, Moore said, the UI has not acted upon that request, and Juweid “remains a member of the faculty.”

Moore said there will be discussions with an attorney before the university proceeds.

In his resignation letter, Juweid wrote, “I am resigning as a hero,” because he “dared to protest against various forms of discrimination against foreign-born faculty at the University of Iowa.”

Juweid wrote in the email that he complained to numerous oversight commissions and agencies and was “intimidated and ultimately punished severely.”

He states that Iowa is a “unique state.”

“All things considered, it is unlikely that I will ever receive justice here,” he wrote, making accusations of prejudice and bigotry. “For all of that, you will most likely win, and I will lose.”

In closing, however, Juweid wished “all decent faculty, employees and students” the best of luck.