A renowned vaccine specialist allegedly harbored romantic intentions toward a scientist at Northwell Health, who repeatedly turned him down. According to her lawsuit, this led to her termination after she made a joking remark about bringing a gun to work.
Peter Hotez, a molecular biologist and dean at the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, gained significant attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Known for his social media clashes with podcaster Joe Rogan, who wanted him to debate vaccines with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Hotez’s less professional side surfaced in court documents.
In 2024, following a speaking engagement at a Northwell Health symposium in May, Hotez reportedly rekindled an acquaintance with Annette Lee, a former graduate school peer. This interaction allegedly revealed his long-standing interest in her.
Lee, 64, claims that Hotez repeatedly made advances despite their lack of closeness in the past.
“After the symposium, Hotez and Lee met for drinks, during which Hotez unexpectedly admitted he had been in love with her since their graduate school days,” Lee stated in her lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Lee, a prominent molecular scientist and dean at Northwell Health’s Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, asserted that Hotez contacted her multiple times throughout 2024.
“He told me about his repeated marital affairs and joked about how much Cialis he had purchased. I was disturbed by all the women he described and told him that being the high-profile person that he is, he should be more discreet and stay out of the backseat of cars,” she alleged in court papers.
“Dr. Hotez told me he would give up all these women for me and I declined and said I did not want to be more than friends and said that I did not want a sexual relationship.”
In August 2024, Lee texted Hotez after an “intensely stressful day” and “joked that [she] should be kept away from a firearm,” she said in the lawsuit, adding, “It was a joke and having known Lee for this long, Hotez would have known it was a joke.”
Instead, Hotez allegedly reported the remark to Lee’s boss, and she was fired weeks later after more than 20 years with Northwell.
The move was retaliation for Lee’s romantic rejections, she claimed in the wrongful termination and discrimination suit against Northwell, which seeks unspecified damages.
Hotez was reviewing the lawsuit, a spokeswoman said.
“He categorically denies Dr. Lee’s characterization of the facts. Otherwise, given the pending litigation, Dr. Hotez will not comment further at this time,” Baylor College rep Claire Bassett said.
Northwell said it was aware of the lawsuit and that the company “prioritizes a safe and respectful environment.”
“We deny allegations that her separation was in any way related to reporting any “romantic overtures” by anyone,” spokeswoman Barbara Osborn said.
