Three Saudi doctors are suing the University of Ottawa in Canada for $155 million for alleged racist behavior, breach of contract, loss of earnings and damage to their reputations. The three doctors are Dr. Waleed Al-Ghaithi, who was dismissed from the neurosurgery unit in 2009, Dr. Khaled Aba Al-Khail and Dr. Manal Al-Sayegh, currently still resident doctors of the cardio-surgery program at the university, but not practicing, reported Al-Hayat Arabic daily. The Vancouver Sun English daily, in a report published on Jan. 31, said that the three doctors filed their lawsuit in November 2011 at the Human Rights Court in Ontario, but only announced it on Monday. In their legal action, they claimed the university discriminated against them, damaged their reputations, and breached their contracts. It also accused the university of negligence and violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Saudi doctors accused 10 staff members at the university of oppressing, bullying and threatening doctors working at the medical school. The accused persons include the dean of the medical school, the deputy medical director for medical affairs and patient safety, assistant dean of post-graduate medical education and the head of the surgery unit. The doctors said their expulsion made them lose their source of income and opportunities to practice their profession as doctors and surgeons. They said they had become depressed. Al-Ghaithi is suing for $55 million, Aba Al-Khail for $30 million and Al-Sayegh for $25 million. They are also asking $45 million collectively for other damages. The university, according to the Vancouver Sun, has denied all the allegations and said it would defend the charges in court.
