Duke Health Physician Fired for Criticizing DEI Push

A prominent emergency room physician alleges that he was fired from Duke University's health system after speaking out against its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiative. Dr. Kendall Conger claims that the university's pledge against racism was "radical" and not based on scientific evidence.

Dr. Kendall Conger, a respected emergency room physician, has raised the alarm over his dismissal from Duke University's health system. He alleges that his termination was a direct consequence of his vocal opposition to the university's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) push.

Duke Health Physician Fired for Criticizing DEI Push

Conger's journey with Duke University began a decade ago, when he joined the staff of Duke Raleigh Hospital. However, his perspective shifted in 2021 when the university issued a sweeping pledge against racism. This pledge, which declared racism a "public health crisis," was met with skepticism by Conger.

"It wasn't so much a pledge to better medicine, but a pledge to left-wing ideology," Conger explained to Fox News Digital. "I felt if I did not say anything, I was giving tacit approval to what was in the pledge."

Duke Health Physician Fired for Criticizing DEI Push

Conger's dissent stemmed from his belief that racism is not a public health crisis and that the pledge's claim that it was "guided by science" was misleading. He requested data from Duke Health to substantiate this claim but was met with a disappointing response.

"They offered social science data," Conger recalled. "But we're a clinical institution and you guys made what seemed to be a clinical statement."

Duke Health Physician Fired for Criticizing DEI Push

Duke Health's refusal to engage with Conger's questions raised red flags for the physician. He became increasingly concerned that the university was prioritizing equity over equality, which he saw as a departure from traditional American values.

"Our country's vision statement has been one where we're looking towards equality of the individuals, not of group outcomes being equal," Conger said.

Duke Health Physician Fired for Criticizing DEI Push

Conger's persistent inquiries into the pledge's scientific basis led to his ultimate downfall. Duke Health, according to Conger, ceased responding to his requests because he shared their answers with the community. He expressed his concerns to fellow doctors, friends, and family, but he also penned a scathing public editorial entitled "Duke Health's Antiracist 'Pledge' Is Not Guided by Science."

Conger believes that Duke Health feared public scrutiny of its pledge and terminated his employment to silence his opposition. "They eventually had enough with me and said I was being terminated, not for cause," Conger said. "It's primarily they did not like my opposition to their left-wing ideology."

Duke Health has yet to respond to Conger's allegations. However, a termination memo from Duke Raleigh Hospital stated that he was "terminated not for cause" and that his employment would end on June 30, 2024. The memo cited his "negative impact" on the emergency physician team, which could jeopardize patient care.

Conger vehemently denies these claims and insists that his dismissal was solely based on his opposition to DEI. He maintains that racism is not a significant problem in medicine and that merit, not race, should be the primary consideration in healthcare.

Conger's dismissal has raised concerns about the tightening grip of DEI in healthcare. He believes that the push for equity over equality is eroding the quality of medical education and patient care.

"Everybody is trying to do their best for every patient that they see," Conger said. "No surgeon wants to lose a life on the table, Black or White. It just looks bad on them regardless. None of us wants to have bad outcomes for any of our patients."

Conger is currently seeking new employment opportunities that align with his values. He hopes to find a workplace that does not prioritize DEI at the expense of patient care.