By Elena Shao on June 3, 2019

Jose Montoya, previously a professor at the Stanford University Medical Center, was “relieved of all University duties — clinical, research, or otherwise” on Thursday, May 30, according to an email sent that morning by Stanford Medicine’s Infectious Diseases Division Chief Upinder Singh to all division employees.

His termination occurred after an investigation, led by an outside attorney and an unnamed Stanford faculty member, found what Singh called “multiple violations of the University’s conduct policies.” The investigation was launched in response to “complaints relating to his conduct,” according to the email. Per University policy, Montoya has the right to appeal this decision.

Montoya did not immediately respond to request for comment.

“I am not commenting further on this matter out of respect for the privacy of all individuals involved,” Singh’s email states. Both University and Stanford School of Medicine spokespeople did not provide comment beyond the information in the email.

The email does not indicate which policies were violated, but references University policies that provide for the “fair and respectful treatment of employees” along with the School of Medicine’s Statement on the Respectful Workplace, the University’s Code of Conduct and “related policies prohibiting harassment and discrimination.”

“When conduct in violation of any of these policies occurs, the University will act to stop the conduct, prevent its recurrence, and take appropriate action against those responsible,” Singh wrote in the email.

Montoya was also a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford in 1994, studying infectious diseases. He serves as director of the National Reference Laboratory for the Study and Diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis, according to his faculty page. Until his termination, Montoya also served as the head of the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Initiative at Stanford.



This abbreviation for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been corrected to ME/CFS. The Daily regrets this error.

Charlie Curnin contributed to this report.

Contact Elena Shao at eshao98 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

