Michigan Never Held Hearings on FGM Doctor's License, FOIA Records Reveal
Is the medical establishment supporting doctors who practice female genital cutting on minors, even during active federal prosecution?
Freedom of Information Act (FIOA) records show Michigan never held administrative hearings regarding Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, the Detroit physician federally charged in 2017 with performing female genital mutilation on young girls in what prosecutors called the first FGM case in U.S. history.
Records from the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules (MOAHR) show zero proceedings related to Dr. Nagarwala despite her role in the landmark FGM case. Dr. Nagarwala still holds an active, unrestricted Michigan medical license (License No. 4301071795), valid through 2026.
MOAHR handles cases where physicians challenge disciplinary action. No records means that either Michigan never initiated proceedings against her or she did not contest action taken against her. Given that her license shows no restrictions, suspensions, or disciplinary notations, it is likely that the Michigan licensing board never took formal action against a doctor who performed female genital cutting on minors.
The FOIA records requested cover 2010 to present, including the 2017-2018 period when Dr. Nagarwala was under federal indictment and the federal FGM ban was still law. The federal law wasn't ruled unconstitutional until 2018. This means there is no evidence Michigan's licensing board took any disciplinary action against a physician facing federal charges for performing female genital cutting on minors, even while federal law prohibited the practice.
While federal law fell on constitutional grounds, state medical boards retain full authority to discipline physicians whose conduct violates medical standards. Medical boards routinely suspend or revoke licenses for issues far less severe than performing female genital cutting on minors. Their inaction raises questions as to whether or not the state medical board condones physicians practicing female genital cutting.
This sustained non-enforcement aligns with a 2010 American Academy of Pediatrics proposal to allow physicians to perform a “ritual nick” on girls’ genitals, similar to what Dr. Nagarwala practiced. They withdrew the policy only after public outcry. However, selective non-enforcement allows medical authorities to support female genital cutting, without explicit policy changes that would risk public backlash. Michigan’s inaction, even during a federal case, shows which strategy is more effective. Until now, no one noticed.
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
This is an ongoing investigation. I’ve filed additional FOIA requests to determine how widespread this issue may be. Subscribe to receive updates as records are released.
Why Does the Doctor Charged in America's First FGM Case Still Have Her Medical License?
In 2017, federal prosecutors charged Detroit emergency physician Dr. Jumana Nagarwala with performing female genital mutilation on young girls, some of whom had been driven across state lines from Minnesota to a Michigan clinic, in the first federal FGM prosecution in United States history.