AUSTIN, Texas ― A new doctor in a University of Texas residency training program has sued the school, claiming she faced possible dismissal after complaining on Facebook about having to work 100 hours or more per week.
A judge in Austin issued a temporary restraining order that halted this week’s potential firing of Jenny Scoville Walsh. Her attorney contends that Walsh was exercising her free speech rights in her Facebook posts.
The Austin American-Statesman reports that national rules limit residents to a maximum of 80 duty hours per week.
A university lawyer told the judge that Walsh was put on probation and was being terminated for academic reasons only. Lawyers for the school declined to comment after Friday’s court hearing.
