FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A Fargo doctor has been awarded $1.6 million in a lawsuit against his former California employer, Eisenhower Medical Center and Eisenhower Medical Associates. Dr. Richard Loftus filed the suit over three years ago, alleging his employer attempted to punish him for advocating for the use of masks by medical staff and patients during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Loftus claimed his employer’s actions, including an attempt to impose a behavior agreement requiring him to see a psychiatrist, were retaliatory for his concerns about potential safety risks. The resolution, spanning 52 pages, awarded Loftus $1 million for emotional distress and $600,000 for lost earnings.
The resolution noted that the case involved a physician who became “increasingly unhinged” during the pandemic’s early stages, while also stating Loftus’s supervisor allegedly berated and demeaned residents who took COVID-19 precautions seriously. Loftus described a “hostility towards those of us who were trying to appraise the situation and taking appropriate precautions.”
He stated that after more residents raised concerns, the management eventually allowed resident doctors on hospital duty to wear masks. Loftus also mentioned that other doctors who behaved similarly to his supervisor, including those who ridiculed mask-wearing and minimized safety concerns, were not included in the case.Reflecting on the situation five years later, Loftus expressed no regrets, stating, “I would take a bullet for those residences and I’ve said that many times.I love those residence.” He emphasized that winning the lawsuit was not about the money but about speaking up for what he believed was right.
