Amid controversy, Simons removed from directorship

Updated: Monday, Nov. 17

Following revelations that he was formally accused of sexual harassment in 2013, former School of Medicine cardiology chief Michael Simons MED 84 has been removed from his position as director of the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center.

Simonss removal from his directorship follows his decision not to return as cardiology chief after allegations that he sexually harassed one of his researchers, Annarita di Lorenzo. Although the University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct, after examining the allegations against Simons, recommended that he be permanently removed from his position at the helm of cardiology, Provost Benjamin Polak chose to suspend Simons for 18 months instead.

However, he remains a tenured professor at Yale, according to School of Medicine Dean Robert Alpern.

According to a Thursday night email addressed to all faculty members of the medical schools cardiology department, authored by Gary Desir who is interim chair of the Department of Internal Medicine Simonss removal is effective immediately. The email said that the removal came as the result of a prior review of his leadership. It did not mention the sexual harassment charges. However, faculty members interviewed claimed that the process of Simonss removal did not involve administrative transparency.

Desirs email also stated that Simons decided in October not to return to his position as chief of cardiology at the end of his suspension in 2015.

According to Desirs email, Simonss management of the Cardiovascular Research Center was reviewed from April through August. However, many within the Department of Cardiology said Desirs email was the first acknowledgement of any investigation into Simonss conduct and leadership.

Faculty members interviewed expressed frustration with the lack of procedural transparency, claiming the majority of their information regarding the UWC investigation, as well as Simonss eventual removal, came as the result of widespread news coverage such as a front-page article in The New York Times on Nov. 1 and not from University administrators.

If The New York Times article had not come out, it would just be business as usual, said an anonymous source from the School of Medicine who wanted their identity protected for fear of retribution. I find that troubling.

The source said faculty within the cardiology department had received no official word regarding the UWC investigation or Simonss subsequent suspension. Rather, the source said faculty were led to believe Simons was taking a leave of absence unrelated to any allegations of misconduct.

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Amid controversy, Simons removed from directorship