DETROIT — After more than a month on paid administrative leave, Wayne State University School of Medicine Dean Dr. Wael Sakr will return to campus Monday, September 29, according to a university announcement.

In an email to faculty Thursday, Dr. Bernard Costello, WSU’s senior vice president for health affairs, confirmed Sakr’s return:

“I am writing to inform you that Dean Wael Sakr will be returning to the School of Medicine on Monday. Thank you for your continued professionalism and dedication to the School of Medicine during this time. We look forward to moving forward in our shared commitment to serving the community as a national leader in medical education, discovery and healthcare.”

Background on the leave

Sakr was placed on leave in mid-August. University officials did not publicly disclose the reasons behind the decision and instructed faculty not to contact him during that period.

A month into his suspension, hundreds of faculty members signed a memo demanding his immediate reinstatement unless credible allegations surfaced. Faculty leaders, including Dr. Avraham Raz, chair of the School of Medicine executive board, argued that the administration under then-President Kimberly Andrews Espy violated contractual obligations in handling the matter.

Espy’s leadership had already caused tensions with Wayne State’s Board of Governors and the controversy surrounding Sakr’s leave fueled their discontent. Espy resigned last week after the board maneuvered to remove her.

Unanswered questions

Associate Vice President of University Communications Matt Lockwood declined to clarify who investigated Sakr or the nature of the allegations.

In a message to faculty earlier this month, Sakr insisted the allegations did not involve sexual harassment, financial mismanagement or racial bias. His statement was shared with the Detroit News by Wayne State Academic Union President Jennifer Sheridan Moss.

During Sakr’s absence, Dr. David Rosenberg, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, was appointed acting dean. However, Rosenberg resigned after a month, citing concerns about how he was installed without the required approval of the faculty executive committee.

In an email to Raz obtained by the Detroit News, Rosenberg admitted he had not realized the appointment bypassed the committee and said he could not continue under the “current circumstances and environment.” He added that Sakr was a “good character with unwavering devotion to the School of Medicine and University” and emphasized that he had never sought the deanship, acting or otherwise.

Faculty concerns

Raz, speaking on behalf of the faculty academic union, criticized the administration’s handling of the situation, saying that suspending the dean and appointing an interim replacement should have gone through the faculty executive committee, as required by contract.

The university has not provided further explanation about the circumstances that led to Sakr’s leave or its resolution.