Doctor loses residency, accuses UW of bias after session on Islam

Milwaukee Journal | 6/19/02 | By NAHAL TOOSI

[Love of Country]

Christian who questioned lecture complains to EEOC

Last Updated: June 18, 2002 Michael Curtiss headed to a Tuesday lecture in his family practice residency program in Wausau a few months ago, expecting to hear the usual discussion of some aspect of medicine. Instead, he sat surprised as two Muslim first-year residents gave a presentation on Islam.

Quotable

I don't think faith has any place being in a public university

- Michael Curtiss, former medical resident

The residents offered prayers, talked about the five pillars of Islam, defended its treatment of women and spoke to allay fears that the U.S. government would intern Muslims, said Curtiss, a staunch Christian and former seminarian. The two-hour session occurred Jan. 8, Curtiss said.

Curtiss, who once raffled off guns to help pay for a congressional campaign, didn't think it appropriate to use class time to focus on religion - especially considering this was a University of Wisconsin Medical School program.

He challenged the presenters, Altaf Kaiseruddin and Ilyas Sial, asking six questions using biblical Scripture as his guide.

A week later, Kaiseruddin took him aside and warned him his time at the program was up, Curtiss claims. A few days after that encounter, Curtiss said, he learned his three-month contract would not be renewed, and no one told him why.

The 44-year-old has since filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accusing the university of religious, age and disability discrimination. He believes that UW officials not only discriminated against him because of the nature of his participation in the lecture but also ruined his chances of getting a position with a Michigan State University program afterward.

"I don't think faith has any place being in a public university," said Curtiss, who said he was a second-year resident. "If I would have said to Kevin (O'Connell, the Wausau program director), 'I'd like to take two and a half hours of teaching time to tell the staff and the residents and people who work here about the salvation that's available through Jesus Christ,' do you think he would have even let me speak?"

The other side O'Connell tells a different story.

He says the program accepted Curtiss as a first-year resident, offering him a three-month contract because of his non-traditional background. According to O'Connell, Curtiss' medical internship was in the 1980s but it couldn't be confirmed because the program no longer existed. Curtiss had graduated from Rush Medical College in Chicago, O'Connell said. A review of Illinois license records turned up an active medical license for a Michael S Curtiss.

Curtiss received a contract in effect from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31 that stipulated the program could opt not to renew it and Curtiss would have no right to appeal within the university's grievance process, O'Connell said. On Dec. 17, Curtiss went on medical leave because of back problems. According to O'Connell, the session on Islam occurred Dec. 18, and Curtiss did attend and ask several questions, as did others.

In mid-January, program officials reviewed Curtiss' brief tenure and decided - based purely on performance factors - not to renew his contract, O'Connell said. Department chairman John Frey sent Curtiss a letter informing him of the non-renewal, but it didn't give a reason why, O'Connell admitted.

O'Connell declined to give details about Curtiss' performance.

The Islam lecture came about after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, when a lot of patients expressed nervousness and confusion during checkups, O'Connell said. Because Kaiseruddin and Sial were available, program leaders felt it would be convenient and appropriate to have a session on the religion.

"We teach about tolerance and cross-culturalism all the time," O'Connell said.

Despite repeated attempts, Kaiseruddin and Sial could not be reached for comment. Frey also could not be reached.

The university also released a statement on the topic. "Dr. Curtiss was employed for a brief time with the University of Wisconsin-Department of Family Medicine, and the university has met its obligations to him under the terms and conditions set forth in its contract with him," part of the statement reads. "The university believes his charge is without merit and denies his allegations."

Exchange regarded as civil Two other residents in the program who asked not to be named confirmed the contents of the lecture. One of the residents said the exchanges between Curtiss and the presenters had been civil, mainly focusing on the differences between Christianity and Islam. Others besides Curtiss asked questions, said the resident, who didn't want to be named for fear he'd be "blacklisted."

The resident said he considered Curtiss a top resident.

"I think he's a fine physician. An excellent physician," the resident said. "He was very knowledgeable. He was very involved with clinical discussions and meetings and just really put a strong effort forward."

O'Connell had met with residents and informed them that Curtiss' contract had not been renewed for legitimate reasons, but he would not elaborate because of the litigation, the resident said.

After Curtiss found out he couldn't return to the Wausau program, he applied to a Michigan State program. He said he was accepted, but then, in May, he heard from William Short, that family practice program's director, telling him he wouldn't get a spot after all. Curtiss believes that, somehow, word of his encounter with Kaiseruddin and Sial got to Short. Short could not be reached Tuesday.

O'Connell said Short had called him. Apparently, Curtiss had denied being in the Wausau program and Short wanted to make sure, O'Connell said. He also confirmed that Curtiss had been in the program and his contract was not renewed, but he insists he never mentioned Curtiss' performance failures.

But Curtiss filed his complaint on more than just grounds of creed. He also claims age and disability discrimination. Curtiss, who is married and has two sons, said he had been suffering from a tumor in his spinal area and had trouble walking. Because the school wouldn't tell him why he was being let go, he filed complaints on multiple grounds.

"They didn't give me any warning. They didn't give me any way to correct what I had done," he said. "They said: 'We don't need a reason. You're gone.' "

Curtiss also said he practiced medicine for 15 years in Illinois, mainly in rural areas, before returning for a second-year residency program.

He gained attention when he ran for a western Illinois congressional seat in 2000 and raffled off guns to raise campaign money.

"Second Amendment - that's the Constitution," Curtiss said when asked about the raffle Tuesday.

Curtiss, who said he's a member of the Evangelical Free Church, isn't keen on Islam. He said he has read the Qur'an ("Know thine enemy, right?" he said) and considers it a very contradictory book, especially on topics such as warfare. He also expressed resentment at foreign students who are accepted into residency programs in the United States, saying they take up seats that should go to Americans.

[agrandis]

Nobody ever tries to explain that "our diversity is our strength" slogan! It's so mindless!

[exmarine]

I sometimes wonder what will become of the liberals when the U.S. ceases to exist as a result of their treasonous agenda. I have no doubt if the U.S. is taken over by muslim extremists most liberals will be chanting "allah hu akbar" in short order! Cowardly traitors.

[JohnMac]

"Diversity" advocates preach tolerance of everyone and everybody, unless they disagree with us.

[sneakypete]

It's so mindless!

That makes it the perfect slogan for it's intended audience, the American public.

[spokeshave]

Where can we send some cash for the good doctors legal fees..?...thanks

[zip]

Almost every $ they contribute to the AMA is a $ towards a leftist cause.

Thank God my doctors are very conservative. They are pro 2nd amendment, anti AMA and are upset with the AMA's activism inre Sarah Brady's goon squad's attempt to force doctors to report gun locations as part of a physical exam. Between Brady's idiotic group and John Hopkins very proactive stance against the 2nd amendment it's more important than ever to stand up for America.

[philosofy123]

You and I are the very few who can see or feel the pain of the oppressed Christians. The problem we have is our country in an effort to assure plurality had assured subservient states to all Christians. In addition, the evangelical Christians, who are constantly foaming at the mouth deservingly, earned the ridicule of the Media. Now the child molestation of the Catholic clergies is defaming another branch of Christianity. In general, the media forbids Christians of all denomination from having "us against them" attitude. That attitude is clear in Moslem Americans, and Jewish Americans.

[Love of Country]

The ACLJ is on it! Thanks for the thought though!

[Chesner]

I disagree with your statement that "the majority of doctors arepolitical, and liberal".

Most physicians are not members of the AMA (their membership is now at its lowest in history) and the vast majority of private practitioners are overwhelmingly conservative economically. They are small business owners. As with most academicians, the University/Government Docs are likely to be liberal. Of course, due to media bias, the majority of news stories are slanted to the Left, so it gives the impression that the liberal academicians speak for the majority of Docs.

[Red Jones]

the people who know the university know that it is rotten.

[chemainus]

Notice how the media censored out the homosexual component of the priestly molestations and vow breaking ( why do you think many of them are there in the first place?) and is attempting to destroy the Church per se.....the homosexual component needs coverage....and I am not a homophobe...just want balanced coverage and OPEN discussion of all components

[Love of Country]

You nailed it!

[Cachelot]

That's what I used to choose my doc.

Good selection of medics over in Saudi, Kudz?

[Kermit]

This says it all:

"Others besides Curtiss asked questions, said the resident, who didn't want to be named for fear he'd be "blacklisted."

[Kermit]

Hey, do you have any other residency lined up.

[KirklandJunction]

Was that posted erroneously?

My doc is in Mesa, Arizona. We have no idea who/what Kudz is/are. The vine in southeastern U.S., kudzu?

Sorry.

[holyscroller]

"He also expressed resentment at foreign students who are accepted into residency programs in the United States, saying they take up seats that should go to Americans."

Amen! Qualified American students are being turned away at universities all across Amrica because first priority goes to foreign students. To make it even worse, if our kids do get in, they pay full freight, and the foreigners get cut rates, subsidized with our tax dollars. This whole system stinks!

[Allah_the_moon_god]

I don't think faith has any place being in a public university

I agree. No one should put any faith in the public school system.

[agrace]

Sharia law says that a woman found guilty of adultery is to be stoned to death. Recently there have been cases in Nigeria and Pakistan, for example, where a woman says she was raped, the accused denies the charge and she is found guilty of adultery instead. A woman needs four eyewitnesses to affirm her claim, which is of course impossible with regard to rape. A man needs no such witnesses - his word stands alone.

So following the law and its conditions to its logical end, a woman raped is given a death sentence if she can't prove it. Thankfully, these executions haven't actually been carried out. But the law stands.