{"id":135131,"date":"2023-10-11T00:05:15","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T04:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=135131"},"modified":"2023-10-11T13:17:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T17:17:40","slug":"hospital-disputes-claim-it-threatened-15-year-old-college-student-with-defamation-suit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/hospital-disputes-claim-it-threatened-15-year-old-college-student-with-defamation-suit\/","title":{"rendered":"Hospital defends itself against claim its defamation threat silenced doctor’s son"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATED<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

‘False assertions’ can be challenged through ‘legal means,’ spokeswoman says<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A Maine hospital said it is not planning to bring action against a 15-year-old college student who voiced safety concerns that were brought up by his mother, who had been terminated by the facility.<\/p>\n

Samson Cournane, a fifteen-year-old junior at the University of Maine, wrote<\/a> a petition<\/a> regarding perceived safety issues at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.<\/p>\n

His mother, Anne Yered, a former pediatrician at the hospital, drew attention to the issues and it was allegedly why she was fired from her job there.<\/p>\n

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an advocacy group that protects free speech rights, sent a letter last month to the hospital, demanding it retract the lawsuit threat. Though the defamation threat is directed at Dr. Yered, FIRE says Cournane is being silenced by extension.<\/p>\n

Northern Light “tried to shut him up,” FIRE wrote in its news release. “If a powerful corporation would threaten to sue a teenager into silence, they\u2019ll do it to anyone,” attorney James Jordan stated.<\/p>\n

The headline on FIRE’s news release stated<\/a> the hospital “threatens defamation lawsuit” over Cournane’s petition. Most of its letter<\/a> focused on perceived threats to Cournane’s freedom of speech.<\/p>\n

A hospital spokeswoman told\u00a0The College Fix<\/em> that Northern Light “became aware that Dr. Yered’s minor son…contacted [healthcare] personnel attempting to speak with them regarding topics that included issues germane to his mother\u2019s threatened claims, without disclosing his connection to his mother.”<\/p>\n

Spokeswoman Suzanne Spruce said Northern Light found this out “through chance” and noted Cournane has a different last name than his mother.<\/p>\n

After those calls, \u201can individual purporting to be the minor son,\u201d but whom the hospital \u201cbelieved to be Dr. Yered or acting at Dr. Yered\u2019s direction,\u201d published the statements, which Spruce called \u201cfalse and malicious.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE: ‘Free and open discourse’ forum launched at U. Chicago<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe strongly deny any suggestion or allegation that Dr. Yered was terminated because she reported or raised safety-related concerns,\u201d Spruce told The Fix<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The hospital “placed Dr. Yered on notice that EMMC was reserving its right to bring a counterclaim against her for these defamatory statements, which have harmed EMMC and the physician about whom these statements were made,” Spruce said. “At no time has EMMC threatened to assert a claim against Dr. Yered\u2019s minor son.”<\/p>\n

In addition, Spruce said that \u201cpatient safety\u201d is the hospital\u2019s \u201cfirst priority,\u201d pointing to an A rating from The Leapfrog Group<\/a>, which rates hospitals based on safety and other criteria.<\/p>\n

The hospital also took issue with the free speech claims.<\/p>\n

The hospital \u201csupports individuals’ rights to speak out in any forum about issues of public concern, including healthcare and patient safety,\u201d Spruce wrote. \u201cThat right is not without limit, however.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFactually unsupported and demonstrably false assertions that are designed to unfairly undermine the public’s trust and that cause actual harm, like those at issue here, may be challenged through legal means,\u201d Spruce said.<\/p>\n

FIRE received a similar from the hospital in early September. Attorney James Jordan recently told The Fix<\/em> the free speech group plans to \u201ccontinue to monitor the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Maine, private institutions violate the spirit of state law when they threaten baseless legal action to silence protected advocacy,\u201d the Aug. 23 letter<\/a> stated.<\/p>\n

The letter, addressed to the hospital\u2019s attorney, asked the company to \u201cprovide FIRE a written statement disavowing any intent to sue over Samson\u2019s protected advocacy\u201d in order to \u201cspare your clients the embarrassment of publicly defending their ham-handed attempt to censor a 15-year-old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cournane\u2019s petition<\/a> started September 18, 2022, specifically noted efforts by Yered to bring to light safety issues. It states that Yered was threatened by the hospital \u201cto the point of a senior manager climbing through the woods in her backyard to confront her.\u201d It also cites public news stories about safety problems within the hospital system.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung people have free speech rights just like everyone else,\u201d Cournane stated in a news release<\/a>. \u201cI have the right to stand up and speak my mind without being bullied into silence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Editor’s note: <\/strong>The article was updated to further Clarify that FIRE is not claiming Samson himself is the subject of the defamation suit, only by extension he is being silenced for his advocacy. The headline has also been updated.<\/em><\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> Abortion activist eats baby model at New York community college<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression<\/p>\n

\n