Brown Med School Prof Told to “Prostitute” Himself To Secure Additional Funding, Says Fed Lawsuit
Wednesday, March 01, 2023
At the heart of a lawsuit filed in federal court this week are two unusual factors — was a professor really a university professor, and did his supervisor tell him to “prostitute” himself.
The backdrop is the Ivy League and Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, and Lifespan’s The Miriam Hospital.
The plaintiff is Brown University medical school professor Dale Bond — an expert in behavioral medicine — who Brown presented to the media as a member of the University’s medical school, listed on the school’s website and was promoted in public relations material as a Brown professor.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBond’s nine-count suit alleges in part that he was targeted due to his male gender and states that the University and hospital violated both federal civil rights and employment laws.
Brown Claimed Bond Was a Brown Professor
Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School pitched Bond to appear on a segment of GoLocal LIVE. Kris Cambra, the public relations officer for the medical school, told GoLocal that Bond was a member of the medical school staff. He appeared in studio in February of 2020.
During the interview Bond said, "The great thing about Brown is we have an excellent group of exercise researchers, so that we’re all kind of doing different things, but we’re all pushing the field forward in different ways. I’m excited and honored to work with the faculty members we have.”
Brown’s website stated, “Dr. Dale Bond is Professor (Research) of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at The Miriam Hospital and Brown Alpert Medical School. He received M.S. and PhD degrees in Health Promotion and Education at Purdue University and the University of Utah, respectively, and completed postdoctoral training in behavioral medicine at Brown Alpert Medical School."
But now, after Bond sued Brown, the University claims Bond was a faculty member -- but not employed by the university.
“Brown University was not the employer or joint employer of the plaintiff in Bond v. Lifespan Corporation et.al. at any time relevant to this case. The plaintiff’s research appointment at the University was an affiliation contingent upon the plaintiff’s continued employment with a local hospital partner. Brown will present to the court a strong argument for its removal as a defendant,” Brian E. Clark Associate Vice President for News and Editorial Development told GoLocal in an email on Tuesday.
According to the lawsuit, “In or about May 2019, the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown Medical School, Dr. Steven Rasmussen, called Plaintiff to notify and congratulate him that Plantiff’s promotion to rank of full professor had been unanimously approved and that Plantiff’s new appointment would be effective from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024.”
Bond in his lawsuit goes on to allege that defendant Rena Wing, an “employer of the corporate defendants and Plantiff’s supervisor” told him he needed to “prostitute” himself to secure funding for his position.
“At all times relevant to the matters set forth in the complaint, Dr. Wing was identified on Brown’s website as both a researcher and as part of leadership for Brown’ Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute,” asserts Bond in his lawsuit.
Bond in his suit alleges he faced a “discriminatory, retaliatory and hostile work environment” under Wing and that “other employees of Lifespan Corporation, The Miriam Hospital, and faculty of Brown University, who were younger and/or female and under the supervision of Defendant Wing, were not subjected to the hostile work environment and restrictions as to terms and benefits of employment and funding suffered by Plaintiff.”
Neither Lifespan nor Wing responded to request for comment; Bond's lawyer David Cass also did not respond.
Editor's Note: A previous version had that Brown said Bond was not a faculty member; Brown clarified Bond was on the faculty but not an employee.
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