BY BEN L. KAUFMAN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A cardiologist is suing the University of Cincinnati, saying she was bounced from its heart transplant program because of her sex, race, age and national origin.
Dr. Geetha Bhat was hired by UC in 1985, and five years later was promoted to director of the cardiac transplantation program. However, she says, she was forced to resign in 1996, although she remained on the faculty.
Next, she said, UC ordered her to resign as head of the heart failure section at the Carl & Edyth Lindner Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Research at Christ Hospital, where she was doing research.
Finally, she was replaced as director of UC's congestive heart failure program.
Dr. Bhat said UC slashed her salary, wrongly blamed her for difficulties in the transplant program, refused to approve travel to an American Heart Association session she was to lead, and refused to let her be principal researcher on a major clinical study.
In many of these situations, she was replaced by a younger, white man, her complaint says.
Codefendants are Drs. Richard A. Walsh, head of cardiology, and John J. Hutton, dean of the medical school.
Christ Hospital is not a defendant.
Her civil-rights suit, filed Friday by attorneys Randolph H. Freking and Carrie J. Atkins in U.S. District Court, seeks more than $3.75 million.
Dr. Bhat, 52, an Indian, has moved to Louisville and could not be reached Monday.
Monday, UC lawyer Mitchell D. McCrate had not seen the suit, but he said UC denied similar allegations when Dr. Bhat filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Mr. McCrate would not comment on Dr. Bhat's specific complaints of demotion, pay cut and aborted professional opportunities, saying only, "She left on her own."
