Two hospital chaplains at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, identified as Lizzy Diop and Adam Allen, were recently terminated from their positions after showing public support for their former colleague, Imam Ayman Soliman, who is currently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as reported by News 5 Cleveland and KSBY. Diop shared in an interview with Scripps News Group, “I don’t regret this. I regret that the hospital fired me, I regret their silence in the matter. I’m a chaplain right? I don’t regret that god called me to do justice, love, kindness.”
Facing termination on Monday, Allen participated in a prayer vigil-turned-march last Thursday and was previously informed in an HR meeting about potential misrepresentation in the media while engaging in public disputes. “I wore a shirt to the event that said, ‘I do not represent Cincinnati Children’s Hospital,'” Allen told the KSBY news. Despite wearing the shirt that disclaimed affiliation with the hospital, he was dismissed. Diop and Allen have vowed to continue their advocacy for Soliman while lamenting their respective job losses, stating the act as a collision of duty and faith-driven conviction to stand with their former co-worker.
In a statement obtained by Salon, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital CEO Steve Davis reminded staff of expectations to adhere to hospital policies, without guiding into political dynamics. “As a Nonprofit Charitable Organization, Cincinnati Children’s has strict rules it must follow when engaging in activities that could be characterized as political,” Davis penned in an internal staff letter…