Fired doctors demand reinstatement
Petitions hold names of 8,000 supporters of fired doctors Valerie Fouts-Fowler, left, and Lauren Beene, next to Fouts-Fowler.
Shaker Heights, Ohio — Supporters of fired pediatricians Lauren Beene and Valerie Fouts-Fowler delivered petitions to the University Hospitals (UH) Management Services Center in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, on Feb. 26. The petitions, on a scroll containing over 8,000 names, called on UH CEO Cliff Megerian to reinstate the two doctors.
Beene and Fouts-Fowler were fired in June of 2025. They dispute the official reason the hospital system gave for their dismissal: breaching patient data.
A letter accompanying the petition, from Allies of Concerned UH Physicians, stated: “We, the undersigned, also call on UH to respect doctors’ right to speak up for patient care without fear of retaliation. Doctors Lauren Beene and Valerie Fouts-Fowler are beloved physicians, trusted by families, admired by colleagues and committed to making health care better for everyone.”
The doctors were involved in a union drive at the time of their discharge.
Ohio State Senator Kent Smith delivered the petitions to a security guard, who would not let the doctors or any of their supporters enter the building. Accompanying Drs. Beene and Fouts-Fowler were parents of their patients and members of several unions.
