A resident radiologist at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, was pulled from duty after being exposed as the poster of online comments on a pro-white nationalist website.
Dr. Dov Bechhofer confirmed that he had posted the comments and apologized for his behavior,
according to The Associated Press.
"I am ashamed of the hurtful, unjustifiable words that I posted online that showed callous disregard toward certain minority groups and am deeply sorry for these transgressions," he told the wire service. "The posts do not reflect how I was raised or how I actually treat others. I will continue to struggle to understand what brought me to write them."
The disgraced physician's father is a rabbi and the leader of Orthodox Jews Against Racism and Discrimination,
according to Forward, a Jewish-American news source.
"Bechhofer’s father has frequently spoken out against prejudice as a leader of the group Orthodox Jews Against Racism and Discrimination," according to the publication, which noted, “yet the rise of the 'alt-right,' a loose movement of racists and white nationalists, has seen some Jews join its adherents despite many of its leaders’ professed anti-Semitism."
An article on the site Medium, since removed, had claimed to show that Bechhofer was a commenter known as "Dov" on the white nationalist blog Counter-Currents.
The piece led to Bechhofer being “taken off duty," Montefiore confirmed to AP. “As soon as we learned of the Medium.com article, the employee was placed off duty pending the results of a thorough investigation," the hospital said in a statement, according the news site and other sources. "The views expressed in the article are in no way reflective of Montefiore, our mission, how we conduct ourselves, or the care we deliver each day."
Reached for comment,
Bechhofer told Gothamist, "I understand that I'm not supposed to speak about this. I'm not discussing it at this moment."
That site found in archives of the Medium post, that "Dov" expressed such sentiments as, “the signs point to extra-democratic solutions now being the only way for the various ethnicities of the White race to save themselves," and ... "the great question is how to overcome the differential of firepower between government and citizen.”
Bechhofer began posting to white-supremacist websites in late 2016 from a "scared curiosity about what was being said on these forums about Jews,"
according to the Daily News.
He confessed, according to the paper, that “after spending some time in this toxic corner of the Internet, I eventually became numb to the ugliness of that hateful echo chamber and began participating in the dialogue."
In a brief call with AP, Bechhofer said of the episode that “it's been painful for me, overall.”
In a statement emailed from an email address belonging to Bechhofer to Newsweek,
the doctor continued, “I am filled with remorse and take full responsibility for my actions, which will long be an embarrassment to my family, friends, colleagues, and community.
“Today, I’m at the beginning of a process to make amends for my behavior and am committed to working on my personal flaws. I am actively seeking long-term professional help to deal with these issues, which must be confronted honestly and completely.
“I denounce all forms of bigotry and violence directed at any ethnic, racial or religious group as well as those who are targeted for their sexual orientation.
“While I have much soul-searching and work to do on myself, I intend to take actions for the rest of my life that promote the dignity of all humanity.”