University of Michigan Bylaw 5.09 and Dr. Bradley Foerster — Dr. Foerster Resigns After Stating He Could Not “Effectively Defend Myself”; University States He “Will Not Be Recommended for Rehire” (2019)
Dr. Bradley Foerster Resigns Following the Bylaw 5.09 Proceedings
On June 23, 2019, Dr. Bradley Foerster resigned his tenured position as Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Michigan, effective immediately.
The resignation followed President Mark Schlissel's June 17 determination in the Bylaw 5.09 proceeding and President Schlissel's June 20 response declining Dr. Foerster's medically supported request for an additional ten days to respond.
Dr. Foerster explained that he had reinjured his back, remained on narcotic medication prescribed by his physician, and could not adequately prepare his response within the time available:
“I am unable to reply to your June 17 2019 Memo in sufficient detail to be able to effectively defend myself.”
Dr. Foerster's June 18 medically supported request for a 10-day extension and President Schlissel's response—“I cannot modify that Bylaw”—are documented separately here:
Issues Preserved in the Resignation Letter
The resignation letter also placed Dr. Foerster's continuing objections to the 5.09 proceeding into the contemporaneous record. He expressly stated that the matters identified were “by no means an exhaustive list.”
Dr. Foerster identified two examples of issues he said remained unresolved: the documentary record concerning NIH Grant R01NS082304 and the University's handling of the sexual-harassment matter involving his research environment. He presented these as examples—not an exhaustive list—of factual issues he maintained had not been adequately addressed during the 5.09 proceeding.
The letter separately addressed the process itself. Dr. Foerster objected to the participation of outside counsel in communications involving the SACUA Review Committee and President Schlissel, stating that this was inconsistent with his reading of Regents’ Bylaw 5.09 and with “the academic principle of self-governance.”
More broadly, Dr. Foerster stated that the record reflected what he regarded as “many violations of due process, University guidelines, AAUP guidelines and violations of constitutional and civil rights.” He further stated that University leadership and counsel had not provided an explanation for the concerns he had raised regarding those protections during the proceeding.
These objections were therefore placed in the record at the time of Dr. Foerster's resignation, rather than raised only in later litigation or through subsequent FOIA activity.
Due Process and Shared Governance
The resignation letter closed by returning to the principles Dr. Foerster said were at issue:
“Principles of due process are an essential component of a transparent and democratic system of shared governance in higher education.”
Dr. Foerster nevertheless expressed his continued commitment to the University's mission and concluded by thanking the University for his education, training, opportunities, and the experience of treating and supporting ALS patients.
University Acknowledgment and No-Rehire Statement
On June 23, 2019, Interim Radiology Chair Dr. Ella A. Kazerooni acknowledged Dr. Foerster's resignation and confirmed that it had been processed effective immediately.
The acknowledgment also stated:
“You will not be recommended for rehire at the University of Michigan.”
The letter did not state a separate basis for the no-rehire determination.
Primary Documentary Records
Exhibit 1 — June 23, 2019 Dr. Bradley Foerster Resignation Letter
Dr. Foerster's June 23, 2019 resignation letter, including his explanation for resigning and the factual, procedural, due-process, AAUP, constitutional, and civil-rights concerns he placed in the record at the time of his resignation, is reproduced below.
.png "Letter of resignation submitted by Dr. Bradley Foerster following Bylaw 5.09 proceedings")
Exhibit 2 — June 23, 2019 University Acknowledgment of Resignation and No-Rehire Statement
Dr. Kazerooni's June 23, 2019 letter confirming that Dr. Foerster's resignation had been processed effective that day and stating that he “will not be recommended for rehire at the University of Michigan” is reproduced below.
%202.png "Acknowledgment of Dr. Bradley Foerster resignation by Dr. Ella A. Kazerooni, Interim Chair of Radiology")
Exhibit 3 — April 4, 2026 National Practitioner Data Bank Self-Query
A later National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query processed on April 4, 2026 reported “No Reports Found Based on the Subject Information Submitted.” The NPDB record is reproduced below.
.png "National Practitioner Data Bank self-query response for Dr. Bradley Foerster dated April 4, 2026 showing no reports found")
5.09 Documentary Chronology
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Selected Reporting
- Bradley Foerster Submits 140-Exhibit, 1,121-Page Documentary Chronology to FBI for Supervisory Review of the Investigation Involving Dr. Bradley Foerster, Dr. Myria Petrou, and Duaa Altaee
- From One FBI File to a Legislative Proposal: Peter and Maria Foerster Ask Senator Van Hollen's Office and Congressman Jamie Raskin to Consider a Uniform Administrative Framework for Federal Investigations
- Eva Feldman Documentary Chronology: 139 Exhibits on NIH R01NS082304, University Proceedings, and Federal Investigation — No Response Received
- Bradley Foerster and Myria Petrou Send Ann Arbor Officials Documentary Chronology on AAPD and Related Federal Investigations — No Response Received
- Timothy Lynch Documentary Chronology: 63 Exhibits on University of Michigan Office of General Counsel, University Investigations, and Law Enforcement — No Response Received
- Bradley Foerster and Myria Petrou Documentary Chronology: 8 Exhibits Document More Than Two Years of Efforts to Trace Bank of Ann Arbor's $1.4 Million Sheriff's Sale Credit Bid — No Response Received
Brad Foerster, MD PhD
Brad Foerster is a FOIA advocate documenting requests, transparency disputes, and accountability investigations involving public agencies, universities, police oversight, and Russia-Gate related inquiries. His work compiles original documents, timelines, and analysis of public records and institutional responses. Brad is also a board-certified radiologist, author of Town & Gown, and has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles. Brad lives in Potomac, Maryland with his family and is a member of the Montgomery County Medical Society and the Takoma Park U.S. & World History Book Club.