CLEVELAND — 3News has learned that civil rights attorney Ben Crump has joined the legal defense for former MetroHealth CEO Dr. Airica Steed after she was fired earlier this month.
Crump and his law firm, known for their work in civil rights and discrimination, have joined forces with F. Allen Boseman Jr. and the Sherman Boseman Legal Group to represent her in legal action against MetroHealth "if the parties cannot resolve the matter."
Just weeks after Steed took a leave of absence, the health system's board of trustees voted to fire her, citing fundamental disagreements about the priorities and performance standards needed from a MetroHealth CEO.
However, Crump and the Sherman Boseman Legal Group claim that Steed first learned of the board's decision to terminate her through the media after she "commenced a comprehensive investigation into deeply troubling ethical issues raised by several employees and after she submitted an internal complaint for gender and race discrimination."
"Dr. Steed exemplifies the very best in leadership, having not only met but exceeded the rigorous expectations set for her in a year filled with challenges. Her dismissal raises serious concerns about the standards to which Black women leaders are held in comparison to their counterparts and highlights a pattern of behavior at MetroHealth that deserves intense scrutiny that will be examined closely by our combined legal teams," said Crump.
Steed's firing, which was first reported by Mark Naymik of 3News media partner Signal Cleveland, marks the second time in less than two years that MetroHealth has removed its CEO.
MetroHealth's Board of Trustees hired Steed as the system's next CEO in September of 2022, with the plan being for her to replace the retiring Dr. Akram Boutros that succeeding January. That timeline was abruptly moved up in November when Boutros was fired for allegedly giving himself nearly $2 million worth of undisclosed and improper bonuses.
The full statement, which was released following Steed's firing from MetroHealth Board of Trustees Chair E. Harry Walker, MD, can be read below:
“It has become clear that the Board and Dr. Steed fundamentally disagree about the priorities and performance standards needed from our CEO for MetroHealth to fulfill its mission. We believe Dr. Steed’s performance is not meeting the needs of MetroHealth. As a result, we have lost confidence in her ability to lead the organization going forward and believe it would not be in the best interest of the System for her to continue in her position. Therefore, we are exercising our right to terminate her at-will contract.
“We thank Dr. Steed for her service and wish her well in her future endeavors. We had high expectations when she arrived in 2022 and are sorry those expectations have not been met.
“MetroHealth plays an extraordinarily important role in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Because the Board is entrusted with guiding this critical community institution, our focus must always be on the future of MetroHealth and making sure it remains what it has been for 187 years: Greater Cleveland’s outstanding super-safety-net hospital system.
“Our mission and the commitment to health equity that it embodies are sacred to this Board and to our more than 9,000 employees. With Dr. Steed’s departure, we are confident we have senior leaders who can step in and guarantee that MetroHealth will continue to be a beacon of excellence for our patients and our community.”
In a press release obtained by 3News, Crump and his team took exception with MetroHealth's reasons for firing Steed.
"The reality, however, is that no support exists for MetroHealth's claim of performance issues and a private letter sent to Dr. Steed confirmed the termination was without cause, even though this critical information is noticeably missing from MetroHealth's press release."
What went wrong?
Both SignalCleveland and 3News obtained Steed's performance review from March. It showed that she met or exceeded expectations in "mission strategy, financial management, quality safety and experience, and community and external relations. Steed only partially met expectations for "collaboration and building relationships with physicians," and was below expectations for "effective leadership of the management team" and "relationship with the board and chair."
Steed was reviewed through the eyes of 32 board members, top physicians and other staff, community leaders and Steed herself, according to the report. Respondents gave Steed an overall rating of 7.3 out of 10, with 34.4% selecting the highest possible rating. Steed herself — and community leaders — gave her the top rating.
As Naymik reports, Steed did hit goals tied to the hospital’s performance that triggered a $381,000 bonus on top of her $900,000 base salary.
In addition, Naymik noted that the MetroHealth Board of Trustees analyzed Steed's travel and local business expenses in a report covering 2023 and 2024. The report shows Steed traveled frequently, nearly every month, often multiple times a month. The trips were tied to healthcare and leadership conferences, some that featured her as a speaker or where she received awards.
The cost of Steed's out-of-town trips – including airfare, hotels, car services, and meals – was $77,410 for approximately the last 18 months.
Leave of absence
On July 23, a memo was sent out to MetroHealth staff members indicating Steed was taking a leave of absence from her duties. The memo stated that Derrick Hollings, Metro's executive vice president and chief financial officer, would be taking over her responsibilities on an acting basis.
Signal Cleveland was the first to report the story and obtained an email sent to employees by Hollings, which read:
"I wanted to let you know that Dr. Airica Steed, Metrohealth's CEO & President, is taking a short leave. In her absence, she has designated me to handle her day-to-day responsibilities.
"Please know that I share Dr. Steed's admiration for the mission critical work you do every day to serve our patients, this organization and the Greater Cleveland community. This temporary situation will not affect our mission or that important work in any way.
"I ask you to join me and the entire leadership team in wishing Dr. Steed all the best as we await her return."
Three days later, the MetroHealth Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Christine Alexander-Rager would serve as the system's acting president and CEO while Steed was on medical leave.
"All of us on the Board and at MetroHealth wish Dr. Steed and her family well,” said Walker in a statement on July 26. “We look forward to her return."