Tarek Salaway, the former CEO of OHSU Health, has filed a civil lawsuit against Oregon Health and Science University following his termination earlier this year. Salaway was fired in March after just four months in the role. The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County, seeks 15.5 million dollars in damages and claims the executive was the subject of wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation, and discrimination.
The core of the conflict centers on an internal investigation conducted by OHSU. The university launched this process after receiving reports that Salaway allegedly made threatening remarks about a colleague, including comments about cutting her throat. Salaway denies making these threats. His legal complaint characterizes the accusations as a product of bias, specifically pointing to anti-Muslim sentiment as a factor in his removal. The lawsuit argues that the university portrayed him as a violent individual to justify his firing.
Salaway asserts that the investigation was a pretext used by OHSU leadership to remove him after he challenged the university on management decisions. He claims he reported incidents of racist and sexist bias directed at his colleagues shortly before he was placed on leave. Specifically, he cites a verbal warning he issued to a colleague regarding a comment she made about the qualifications of a Black physician. Salaway suggests that his efforts to address these internal issues and his stance on emergency department management caused friction with other executives.
OHSU has denied the claims made in the lawsuit. A spokesperson for the hospital stated that Salaway’s termination was unrelated to concerns about patient safety, quality of care, or bias. The university confirmed it will defend itself against the allegations. OHSU has remained private regarding the details of the internal investigation, even challenging an order from the Multnomah County District Attorney to release the full file to the public. The case remains active as both sides dispute the events leading to his sudden departure.