Benjamin Neel, the former director of NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, has filed a lawsuit against New York University and the hospital, claiming his firing was due to his pro-Israel social media posts.

According to Washington Square News, NYU’s student newspaper, Neel asserts he was terminated without due process and faced discrimination based on his religion. He had served as the director for nine years and remains a tenured professor at the university, though he no longer practices patient care.

Neel’s social media activity included retweeting posts criticizing those who support violence against Israelis. One of the shared cartoons depicted protesters with signs reading “BEHEADING IS RESISTANCE” and “I HEART HAMAS.” Another retweet showed a caricature of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in talks with a Hamas member, displaying a note “DEMANDS — DEATH TO ALL JEWS.”

In response, NYU Langone Health changed its employee conduct standards, and Steve Ritea, a spokesperson for the hospital, told Fox News Digital, “Dr. Ben Neel, as a leader at our institution, disregarded these standards in a series of public social media posts.” The hospital remains resolute in its decision and is prepared to defend it in court.

Ritea also accused Neel of publicizing internal emails to pressure the hospital, noting that some emails criticized university leaders for their handling of discriminatory speech and the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

Neel was initially suspended before his eventual termination on Nov. 10. His 20-page complaint alleges that he only had a brief human resources interview and was not part of any formal process prior to his firing.

Milt Williams, Neel’s attorney, labeled the firing a “travesty,” defending Neel’s social media conduct as balanced in relation to Israel-related issues.

The lawsuit also claims Neel became a “sacrificial lamb” in the hospital’s effort to appear impartial during the termination of Dr. Zaki Masoud, a resident at NYU Langone Winthrop Hospital, for his anti-Semitic remarks. Masoud faced removal for posting a message in support of Palestinians. Neel’s lawsuit argues his dismissal was a strategic move to justify Masoud’s termination. A petition supporting Neel’s reinstatement has amassed over 89,000 signatures.

“Dr. Neel became a political casualty of NYULH’s effort to terminate Dr. Masoud and other physicians: Dr. Neel was offered up as sacrificial lamb so that NYULH could feign impartiality in its effort to curb political and religious expression,” the lawsuit states.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)