CHD Science Advisor Dr. Meryl Nass Files Complaint Against Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine For Violation of Free Speech and Baseless License Suspension

For Immediate Release

Unprecedented case highlights censorship of physicians, Board’s abuse of power, and harsh penalties for doctors who deviate from government-dictated treatment guidelines 

Washington, D.C. – Meryl Nass, M.D., a member of Children’s Health Defense (CHD) Science Advisory Board, filed a complaint yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine against the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine (BOLIM), claiming that the Board’s “retaliatory conduct” for Nass’s discussions of COVID-19 treatments violates both the U.S. Constitution and the Maine State Constitution. Charging that the Board denied Dr. Nass her First Amendment rights “by chilling the Plaintiff’s free speech and assembly,” the complaint also demands a jury trial.

Dr. Nass, a board-certified internist who began practicing medicine in the state of Maine in 1997, has testified before Congress on six occasions and is an acknowledged expert on anthrax, bioterrorism, the anthrax vaccine, and Gulf War syndrome. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Nass spoke frankly about the government’s handling of the pandemic, the efficacy of mask mandates, the suppression of effective medications to treat COVID-19, and safety risks associated with COVID-19 vaccines.

In the fall of 2021, BOLIM issued a “Position Statement” threatening all Maine doctors with disciplinary action if they spread “COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.” Dr. Nass is one of several doctors whose medical licenses have been threatened or suspended for not adhering to rigid government protocols for COVID-19 treatment.

Following an executive session on Jan. 11, 2022, BOLIM suspended Dr. Nass’s license without a hearing, initially accusing her of “unprofessional” and “disruptive” behavior, spreading “misinformation” and prescribing hydroxychloroquine and a “deworming medication” (ivermectin) to patients. The Board also ordered Dr. Nass to undergo a neuropsychological evaluation despite having no evidence of mental illness nor substance abuse as required for a mental examination under BOLIM’S guidelines.

BOLIM withdrew the accusations of “misinformation” on Sept. 26, 2022, just prior to the first hearing date, Oct. 11, 2022. BOLIM’s case now rests on Nass’s alleged non-adherence to the medical “standard of care” as it pertained to ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19 despite the Food and Drug Administration’s acknowledgment in recent oral argument before the Fifth Circuit that doctors may prescribe whatever drug they choose without legal constraint.

“With this claim, we’re seeing the inner workings of an orchestrated witch hunt to punish physicians for speaking about their own knowledge and experience as well as the medical literature to treat patients when their protocols don’t match those of industry and government,” said CHD President Mary Holland. “BOLIM’s conduct towards Dr. Nass incorporates the classic features of a smear campaign including gaslighting, insinuations of insanity on the part of those who don’t toe the line, and the trampling of free speech. The baseless suspension of Dr. Nass serves as a warning to other physicians to stick to the government script. Thankfully, Dr. Nass is courageous and is calling out BOLIM’s bad acts.”

In addition to asserting a claim for relief that BOLIM unlawfully retaliated against her for exercising her First Amendment rights, Dr. Nass is seeking punitive damages against the individual Board members.

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