A high-profile psychiatrist says she was fired by Yale University over her claims that former President Donald Trump and his supporters are mentally ill, and she’s suing for unlawful termination.
Dr. Bandy X. Lee was fired from her position as assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine in May after civil rights attorney Alan Dershowitz complained that she had violated ethics rules by publicly diagnosing him as ‘psychotic’ based on his political views.
Yale said that she was let go because she no longer had teaching duties at the school but Lee has accused them of firing her for her vocal opposition to Trump and his supporters.
“Since she was acting on a citizen’s duty to contribute her gifts to society,” said her lawsuit, “her speech is protected under the First Amendment.”
Lee even briefed members of Congress about her claims against Trump’s mental fitness to serve.
In one appearance on the show “Op-Ed TV” on CUNYTV in 2018, Lee explained at length why she believed that the former president was a danger because of mental illness.
“Some of the concerns that we have seen, not just myself, but 27 psychiatrists and mental health professionals who have put our concerns in a book, ‘the Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,’ centers around his dangerousness. We see a lot of signs, psychological, cognitive, and neurological, but those in the office that holds so much power and access to the most powerful weapons on Earth are very concerning to us,” said Lee.
“And while we cannot make a definitive diagnosis from afar, or make any conclusions from afar, the signs are numerous enough and alarming enough that we’ve been calling for an evaluation,” she added.
Bob Herbert asked her to be more specific about the signs of danger from Trump.
“The best predictor for future violence is past violence,” said Lee, “and Mr. Trump has shown a tendency for violence in terms of verbal aggressiveness, a history of sexual assault, his inciting of violence at rallies, his endorsement of violence in key speeches that could actually lead to a culture of violence, that could lead to epidemics of violence, far greater than striking one person at a time, and he has shown an attraction to violence.”
Despite being fired, she persisted in her campaign to deride Trump.
“Donald Trump is not Adolf Hitler,” Lee tweeted in November. “At least Hitler improved the daily life of his followers, had discipline, and required more of himself to gain the respect of his followers. Even with the same pathology, there are varying degrees of competence.”
She later deleted the missive.
In one of her latest tweets, Lee said she refused to evaluate President Joe Biden as she did with Trump.
She is seeking reinstatement at the school and more than $75,000 in restitution.
Here’s her appearance on CUNY-TV in 2018:
Mental Health and the Presidency with Dr. Bandy X. Lee | Bob Herbert’s Op-Ed.TV
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