The recent court filing highlights a significant legal battle involving allegations of defamation, contract interference, and retaliation. On January 29, 2026, Charlene Ofosu, M.D., filed a complaint in the 157th District Court of Harris County, Texas against CHI St. Luke’s Health Baylor College of Medicine Medical Center and several associated individuals. The defendants have since moved to transfer the case to federal court under diversity jurisdiction.
Dr. Charlene Ofosu’s lawsuit alleges that her professional reputation has been tarnished due to defamatory actions by the defendants, which include Baylor College of Medicine and individual doctors Kaiming Wu, Gary Lloyd Horn, Zachary Nuffer, Neal Savjani, and Sina Fahrtash. She claims these parties engaged in “malicious/sham peer review” processes that unjustly interfered with her existing contracts and retaliated against her under Texas labor laws. According to Dr. Ofosu’s petition, she is seeking over $1 million in damages for these alleged transgressions.
The defendants argue that the federal court is the appropriate venue for this case due to complete diversity between the parties involved; Dr. Ofosu is a resident of Washington State while most defendants are based in Texas or California. The removal notice emphasizes that no defendant shares citizenship with Dr. Ofosu, thus meeting the criteria for diversity jurisdiction as outlined in 28 U.S.C. § 1332.
In addition to monetary compensation exceeding $75,000—the threshold for federal cases—Dr. Ofosu seeks declaratory relief from the court regarding her claims of defamation and contract interference. Her petition underscores the impact these allegations have had on her career and personal life.
Representing the defendants are attorneys Nehal S. Anand and Jay Zhang from Littler Mendelson P.C., who filed the notice of removal on January 31, 2026. The case is now pending before Judge [Name] under Case ID 4:26-cv-00761 in the Southern District of Texas.
Source: 426cv00761_Charlene_Ofosu_v_Chi_St_Lukes_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Texas..pdf
