A prominent female physician has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit alleging sexism, harassment and broken promises in a long-running dispute over leadership of one of Canada’s leading tropical medicine programs.
Dr. Andrea Boggild, medical director of the University Health Network’s Tropical Disease Unit, launched the claim in Ontario Superior Court in 2024, seeking more than $4 million (C$5.6 million) from the hospital network, according to the National Post.
In her lawsuit, Boggild alleges the hospital failed to honor a commitment that she would become the new “clinical face” of the unit after the retirement of its renowned founder, Dr. Jay Keystone.
The respected physician is also seeking an additional $2.7 million (C$3.8 million) in damages from her colleague, infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch. She alleges Bogoch undermined her reputation as part of an effort to position himself as the unit’s next leader.
“In trying to secure the position that was promised to her, Dr Boggild has endured over a decade of further broken representations, harassment, and sex-based discrimination from the Institutional Defendants,” the lawsuit alleges.
According to court filings, Boggild claims she accepted a permanent role after being led to believe she would succeed Keystone, assuming his clinical, teaching and leadership responsibilities as he prepared to retire in 2012.
That transition, she alleges, never materialized. Boggild says Keystone remained involved until his death in September 2019, while important responsibilities were instead assigned to Bogoch, whom she describes as Keystone’s favored protégé.
The dispute between two of Canada’s best-known tropical medicine experts reportedly escalated over clinic scheduling, teaching assignments and patient referrals, eventually leading to a series of allegations and several internal investigations.
Dr Andrea Boggild, medical director of the University Health Network’s Tropical Disease Unit (TDU) in Canada, filed a lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court in 2024 seeking more than $4 million
Boggild claims the hospital broke its promise to make her the new ‘clinical face’ of the unit after the retirement of its founder, Dr Jay Keystone
Boggild alleges that she was subjected to discriminatory treatment and ‘offensive jokes,’ while claiming Bogoch repeatedly sought to tear down her work and reputation.
Both Bogoch and University Health Network (UHN) have pushed back against the allegations, with Bogoch’s defense filing branding Boggild’s claims as ‘fabricated.’
‘Dr Bogoch pleads that the alleged statements as outlined in the Statement of Claim are the product of fabrication, hearsay, misinterpretation, miscommunication or the like,’ his statement reads, according to the outlet.
In a separate statement, UHN spokesperson Ana Fernandes said the hospital would not comment on the matter until Boggild’s claims are addressed in court.
‘With that said, UHN is vigorously defending against the allegations,’ the statement read.
Court documents also revealed that Keystone’s retirement timeline was never finalized, with the hospital arguing that no agreement was violated because Boggild eventually became medical director of the TDU.
‘The date of Dr Keystone’s retirement was never guaranteed, nor could it be,’ UHN wrote in their statement of defense, according to the outlet.
‘The fact is that Dr Boggild became, and remains, the “clinical face” of the TDU,’ the statement added.
Boggild is seeking another $2.7 million (C$3.8 million) in damages from fellow colleague Dr Isaac Bogoch, alleging he attacked her reputation to position himself as the unit’s next chief
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The legal battle remains in its early stages, and none of the allegations have been tested or proven in court.
The explosive lawsuit, obtained by The National Post, brings in Keystone – the renowned physician who founded the TDU in the mid-1970s and earned an Order of Canada for his groundbreaking work in the field.
Boggild, then a rising infectious disease expert, entered the picture in 2008 when she accepted a temporary role at the TDU to fill in for Keystone while he was on medical leave.
She claimed Keystone was already expected to be on his way out when she arrived – no longer director and winding down his practice – yet he remained a dominant force in the unit.
He allegedly continued running clinics and leading ‘Friday Rounds,’ a weekly educational session where trainees and fellows discussed cases and topics in tropical medicine.
But the legal fight began in 2011, when Boggild transitioned into a permanent role at the unit – a move she said came with a promise that she would replace Keystone.
She said her recruitment letter identified her as the unit’s new superior, placing her in charge of three or four tropical medicine clinics each week, along with ‘Friday Rounds’ and other educational duties.
Keystone allegedly told Boggild he was nearing the end of his career, with plans to officially step away around 2012, according to court documents.
Bogoch and University Health Network (UHN) have pushed back against the allegations, with Bogoch’s defense filing branding Boggild’s claims as ‘fabricated’
UHN admitted that Boggild was in line to become the unit’s chief, but said the takeover of Keystone’s clinical duties was for after he retired
UHN admits Boggild was in line to become the unit’s new face, but says the takeover of Keystone’s clinical and teaching duties was always meant to wait until he stepped down.
In 2012, tensions escalated when she returned from maternity leave and discovered that two new clinical assistants had been hired – including Bogoch.
She took her concerns to management in early 2013, where she and Keystone were given first priority for clinic days, leaving Bogoch and the other new physician to fill in when needed.
However, around that same time, she alleged that Keystone enlisted Bogoch to help lead ‘Friday Rounds.’
Bogoch, a frequent media commentator who rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, became a widely recognized source of public health information through his X account.
Court documents allege that Bogoch maintained his own clinic, which Boggild claimed drew referrals away from her and UHN, while she also accused the hospital of promoting him for media opportunities.
The hospital fired back that tropical disease patients do not belong exclusively to the TDU, arguing that any qualified physician has the right to treat them.
‘Any media opportunities for Dr Bogoch were developed and managed by Dr Bogoch himself, and not UHN,’ the hospital’s defense said, according to National Post.
Boggild claimed that her boss stayed on until his death in September 2019, with key roles instead going to Bogoch, his favored protégé
When Bogoch secured a full-time role in 2014, he pushed for regular TDU clinic time, with UHN saying Keystone supported his bid. But Boggild kept him to occasional clinic shifts to fill gaps.
Bogoch later raised the issue with UHN’s unofficial ombudsman, where Boggild alleges he accused her of blocking his advancement – a claim he denies.
Boggild claims she eventually withdrew from ‘Friday Rounds’ after her relationship with Keystone deteriorated, alleging he made ‘offensive jokes and remarks.’
‘At times she attempted to re-engage in rounds, Dr Boggild was made to feel unwelcome and met with Dr Keystone’s public derision and mocking of her, with comments focusing on her professionalism, appearance, and gait,’ the filing reads.
UHN said it never received a specific complaint from her, but acknowledged her superior had ‘something of a reputation for being politically incorrect.’
Another major point of contention came in July 2019, during Keystone’s final weeks of life, when Boggild allegedly stepped in to take over an event in his place.
According to the hospital, ‘Bogoch took issue with this action, believing that, at least in part, Dr Boggild was attempting to subvert his work in tropical disease medicine.’
Boggild said he accused her of ‘hijacking’ the rounds, claiming his subsequent complaint was nothing more than an effort to tear down her reputation.
Boggild claimed her relationship with Keystone deteriorated, alleging he made ‘offensive jokes and remarks’
The institution said that, around the same period, Keystone also lodged a complaint against Boggild, accusing her of ‘inappropriate behavior’ and of attempting to undermine Bogoch.
Afterward, UHN management recommended that Boggild receive leadership coaching to address communication problems and tensions between her and Bogoch. Court documents say she agreed to work with the coach.
COVID-19 temporarily shifted focus away from the workplace dispute, as pandemic response became the priority and ‘Friday Rounds’ were suspended.
But by December 2020, UHN said tensions between Boggild and Bogoch remained, with a lack of trust and teamwork continuing to affect the work environment.
The hospital said Boggild’s leadership coach determined that the conflict had reached a point where reconciliation was unlikely.
Both doctors accused the other of making the TDU difficult to manage and engaging in unprovoked incivility and harassment, according to UHN’s defense.
An internal review of the TDU’s leadership later produced mixed results. After both doctors filed new harassment complaints in May 2021, UHN hired an independent investigator to review the claims.
According to UHN, the investigator sided with Boggild, finding that her complaints against Bogoch were supported.
The legal battle remains in its early stages, and none of the allegations have been tested or proven in court
The report concluded that some of Bogoch’s conduct was ‘unprofessional, harassing, and inappropriate,’ and violated the hospital’s policies. The investigator, however, found that Bogoch’s complaints against Boggild were not supported.
The report concluded that Boggild had not violated any policies and that her conduct did not amount to harassment, inappropriate treatment or workplace incivility. Bogoch objected to the investigator’s findings.
The investigator also found that the way Boggild was treated by management at UHN’s Division of Infectious Diseases violated her rights under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
UHN said it implemented measures to address the conflict, while arguing that Boggild’s lawsuit is time-barred and denying any breach of agreement. The hospital says she met the required clinic workload by 2017.
In a statement to the National Post, Boggild said: ‘Torontonians should rest assured that UHN is a world leader in research and treatment of tropical and infectious diseases, which are unaffected by the issues raised in my claim.’
The hospital added: ‘There has been no impact to the delivery of patient care or the ongoing operations of the Division, which continue to function as usual under established clinical and operational protocols.’
