River Oaks doctor sues Houston Methodist for $25M after suspension over COVID misinformation

Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, a River Oaks ear, nose and throat specialist in private practice, on Monday filed a defamation lawsuit against Houston Methodist Hospital, arguing the institution ruined her reputation last year when it disciplined her over COVID-19 misinformation. According to the complaint, filed in the 151st District Court, Bowden says she lost patients and was exposed to “public hatred, contempt, ridicule and financial injury.” Bowden is asking for $25 million in damages. She has hired Steven Biss, an attorney based in Charlottesville, Va., and Cypress lawyer Madhu Sekharan. Methodist last year temporarily suspended Bowden’s privileges to practice at the hospital, after she made numerous public comments decrying vaccine mandates and flouting widely accepted medical standards around COVID treatment. The hospital, which also cited unprofessional language as a reason for the suspension, in a statement described her comments as “harmful to the community” and “dangerous misinformation.” Bowden later resigned.

The disciplinary action by Methodist, the first hospital in the nation to implement a vaccine mandate, garnered worldwide media attention. “I’m not sure my life will ever be the same,” Bowden said during a Monday press conference. The doctor has publicly stated her preference to treat unvaccinated patients, who she says have been denied care. She promotes the use of ivermectin, a drug designed to treat parasitic worms, as a form of early COVID treatment, even though large medical studies continue to show no meaningful benefit against the virus. Bowden says she was open-minded about vaccines earlier in the pandemic, but over time, her opposition to vaccine mandates eventually encompassed the shots themselves, according to the lawsuit. On social media, she continues to suggest COVID vaccines are ineffective and harmful. While vaccine-induced immunity wanes over time, the shots are safe and continue to offer protection against severe illness. Bowden’s use of ivermectin has been the subject of complaints to the Texas Medical Board, her attorney Steven Mitby told the Chronicle. She had been scheduled to appear before the board on Wednesday for a hearing to address the complaints, Mitby said. However, the hearing was postponed indefinitely, he said. Medical board spokesperson Jarrett Schneider declined to confirm that a hearing was scheduled.