Hesen Jabr, a Palestinian-American nurse at a New York City hospital, was terminated after referring to Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide" during her acceptance speech for an award recognizing her compassionate care for bereaving mothers.
Jabr disclosed that over the past seven months, she had faced persistent harassment from the Human Resources department due to her pro-Palestine social media posts. She was even threatened with termination unless she ceased her online activism.
NYU Langone spokesperson Steve Ritea confirmed Jabr's dismissal following her speech, citing a "previous incident" as part of the rationale.
"Hesen Jabr was warned in December, following a previous incident, not to bring her views on this divisive and charged issue into the workplace," Ritea stated. "She instead chose to disregard this warning at a recent employee recognition event, which was widely attended by her colleagues, some of whom were upset by her comments. Consequently, Jabr is no longer an NYU Langone employee."
This incident is not the first time Jabr has stood up against perceived injustices. At 11 years old in Louisiana, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on her behalf after she was forced to accept a Bible from her public school principal.
Jabr's termination has sparked a broader conversation about freedom of speech and the rights of individuals to express their views on contentious global issues without fear of retribution in their professional lives.
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