Posted on 06/23/2002 3:40:52 PM PDT by tarawa
Doctor who carried gun returns to work
Jefferson Hospital stripped him of a director's title. He had brought a Civil War replica to a meeting.
By Stacey Burling Inquirer Staff Writer
A Thomas Jefferson University Hospital doctor who brought a replica of a Civil War revolver to a meeting with residents has been allowed to return to work, hospital spokeswoman Phyllis Fisher said.
Following the recommendation of the Faculty Affairs Committee, Dr. Thomas J. Nasca, dean of Jefferson Medical College, allowed the doctor, who has been on leave since May 31, to return to his office yesterday. He will begin seeing patients Monday. The doctor was, however, stripped of the post of residency-program director in his department, a job he was given just three weeks before the incident. An official reprimand will be placed in his personnel file, Fisher said.
The doctor also is required to apologize to the residents.
Fisher declined to release the doctor's name or department.
Two hospital employees, however, identified him as neurosurgeon Robert Rosenwasser.
A call to Rosenwasser's office yesterday was referred to Fisher. She later said he declined to comment.
Fisher said the Faculty Affairs Committee heard 14 hours of "conflicting testimony" about the incident and deliberated for six hours before reaching its decision.
While prestigious, residency-program director is not a paid position, so the doctor's pay will not be immediately affected by the faculty committee's action, Fisher said. The reprimand, which cannot be expunged from his record, will be taken into account for future appointments or promotions.
Fisher said the discipline was meted out because the doctor had violated the university's policy, which does not allow people to bring guns on to university property.
Fisher previously has said that the doctor, a Civil War buff, brought the gun into an early morning meeting May 31 with a small group of residents to prepare for board exams. Residents are doctors who are receiving advanced training.
The cap-and-ball gun was not loaded and has never been fired. The gun requires gunpowder, lead balls and ignition caps to shoot. The doctor took only the gun into the meeting.
Fisher said the doctor and residents had been talking earlier about guns and that he was joking during the meeting.
Later that day, a resident who had been at the meeting "raised a concern" about the presence of the gun, Fisher said earlier this month.
The doctor was asked to stop teaching and caring for patients while the Faculty Affairs Committee investigated. He requested and was granted a paid leave of absence.
Fisher said earlier this month, before the committee had completed its work, that she had no reason to believe the doctor had pointed the gun at anyone or threatened anyone. When asked yesterday if that had changed, she said she could not comment on testimony before the Faculty Affairs Committee.
"Anything that happens in the Faculty Affairs Committee is considered confidential," she said.
The gun was confiscated after the meeting. Fisher said it would be shipped to the doctor's home.
What a wuss!
Having re-read this, it seems that the doctor is in a very powerful position to win a huge lawsuit against the hospital. Hospital employees' violating his rights to confidentiality in this matter put the hospital at huge risk for losing a major civil action to the doctor. I hope he bankrupts them, the self-righteous twits.
I was wondering - should we start descriminating aginst those who threaten our rights? For instance, asking a doctor, or any hired professional, to sign a pro gun ownership statement prior to working for me? There must be a way to hire only Americans. (Leftist paintywaists are not Americans - they just live here.)
I thought Doctor Who only carried a sonic screwdriver?
Perhaps you've forgotten the brouhaha a generation ago over a proposed loyalty oath for those priviledged to serve in academia.
And it is a priviledge. It's not a right.
At every school in the country, students, faculty and staff should be required to pledge their loyalty to America and to the Constitution, with a special reminder for the leftists among them of the true meaning and importance of all ten amendments of the Bill of Rights.
Anyone who doesn't recognize the individual's right to keep and bear arms should be shoveling sh*t for a living, not leeching off taxpayers' money.
Bump.
I almost posted a similar comment, but the article makes it appear as though the gun in question is a "real" replica. That is, a modern copy of a Civil War era black powder revolver. If loaded and primed, it could be fired.
If it is a non-firing replica (a~la Hollywood stage prop), then this is doubly absurd. Here's hoping the tattletale has a nasty accident involving a defibrillator.
Hmm... does anyone know if black powder firearms are subject to the same requirements re: shipment to FFL holders? It might - might - be a mistake to ship this revolver directly to the doctor's residence. Anyone know for sure? I mean, it'd be a shame if the hospital violated some BATF regs and such...
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