A senior Health Canada analyst who reviews drugs before they go on the public market is suing his boss for allegedly branding him as mentally unstable and potentially violent after he opposed a government policy on labeling hormone drugs for men, The Ottawa Citizen reports.

Thaddeus Yarney had argued against an alleged policy proposed by a Health Canada director to remove a statement from drug labeling that andropause (otherwise known as male menopause) is a condition that can be treated by testosterone drugs. This is a contentious issue that was the subject of a recent study in The New England Journal of Medicine (see here).

Yarney, a reproductive endocrinologist, had what was described as a prestigious and unblemished career for 25 years until 2005, when he started reporting to a new boss, the paper writes. “It was at this point that issues…became apparent…In a number of meetings that took place (Yarney) expressed opinions regarding andropause which were not received favourably by his superiors,” according to the lawsuit filed against Barbara Rotter, his director. The disagreement came to a head in a “particularly contentious discussion” between Yarney and Health Canada management in 2005 that took place in front of pharmaceutical representatives,” the lawsuit states.

Afterwards, he was issued a reprimand letter saying he “had been insubordinate and had challenged management’s authority,” according to the lawsuit, which adds that, after not backing down, Yarney was issued poor performance reviews and branded a security risk. He was later reassigned and suspended several times, atlhough he still works for the government agency. A letter placed in his personnel file allegedly questioned his mental health, which Yarney claims damaged his reputation. He wants $600,000 in damages.