Teenage whistleblower beats hospital's defamation threat, expands free speech in Maine

Teenage whistleblower beats hospital's defamation threat, expands free speech in Maine

"I've been called a crazy kid and ostracized because of a nonpartisan quest for transparency and accountability," Samson Cournane says, explaining social toll of speaking out.

Teenage Whistleblower Beats Hospital’s Defamation Threat, Expands Free Speech in Maine

At age 15, Samson Cournane created a Change.org petition with fellow University of Maine students and directed it to his congressman. His goal was to highlight “serious patient safety issues” at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, the second-largest hospital in the Pine Tree State. He alleged intimidation of his mother, pediatric critical care physician Anne Yered, for protesting the purportedly unqualified director of the pediatric ICU…