BY VEENA RAO
El Paso, Texas, February 9, 2026: The family of Vaibhav Duggal, a third-year medical student at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC) who died by suicide in July 2025, has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $30 million in damages, alleging that the university’s handling of a patient complaint against him was careless, unfair, and caused him severe emotional distress.
“While nothing can bring our son back, we are determined to turn our pain into purpose — to ensure that no other student or family ever suffers as we have,” Vivek Duggal, Vaibhav’s father, told NRI Pulse.
The lawsuit, filed in the El Paso County District Court, names TTUHSC and several administrators. It accuses the university of gross negligence, wrongful death, and denial of due process, arguing that the school failed in its duty of care during a high-stakes disciplinary process.
Vaibhav Duggal was 24 years old when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Court filings describe him as an academically outstanding student, a summa cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University with a 4.0 GPA, who was deeply committed to becoming a doctor. According to the petition, he had no prior professionalism violations in his academic or clinical record before the incident that led to disciplinary action.
“Since his childhood, Vaibhav had just one goal — to become a doctor,” Vaibhav’s mother Neeru told NRI Pulse.
Complaint During OB/GYN Rotation
The lawsuit stems from a complaint made by a female patient during Duggal’s OB/GYN rotation in July 2025. The patient alleged that Duggal asked inappropriate personal questions during a clinic intake and later contacted her on Instagram and sent the messages that made her uncomfortable.
The family disputes the complaint, saying it was unverified and unsupported by evidence. “If the patient was uncomfortable with the questions, why would she allow him to stay in the room and observe the exam?” Vivek’s mother Neeru, said.
According to the lawsuit and internal records:
No screenshots or copies of alleged messages were produced. “She says the messages made her uncomfortable, but where are those messages?” the family said. “There are no screenshots, no record.”
Medical records initially did not document Duggal’s presence during the examination.
According to a court exhibit documenting a professionalism review meeting, Duggal acknowledged sending an Instagram follow request but told administrators he later realized it may be inappropriate and blocked the patient on his own, without sending messages.
Despite these unresolved issues, the lawsuit says the matter was quickly characterized by senior administrators as an “egregious breach of professionalism,” leading to Duggal’s removal from clinical duties. “They escalated it without due diligence,” the family said. “
Disciplinary Action and Alleged Process Failures
According to the lawsuit, Duggal was:
- Removed from all patient care before a full investigation was completed.
- Directed toward a remedial professionalism plan, which his family says treated him as guilty.
- Warned during a July 28, 2025 meeting that he could be dismissed from medical school and that his residency prospects could be harmed.
The family says Duggal repeatedly asked for a chance to explain his side but was not given a meaningful opportunity to do so. They point to a late-night email sent at 11:36 p.m., instructing him to prepare for remediation, as evidence that the university had already made up its mind.
“A common-sense question is: why send a disciplinary email at 11:36 p.m. after you already confronted him earlier that afternoon?” Vivek Duggal told NRI Pulse. “He didn’t sleep that night. He believed his future was over.”
At the same time, internal evaluations included in the lawsuit show Duggal receiving positive clinical assessments, with no recorded concerns related to professionalism. “He had received excellence and strong evaluations,” Vivek Duggal said.
Handwritten Note
A heartbreaking suicide note left by Duggal was addressed to his mother, father, and sister.
In the note, Duggal wrote that he felt he had “failed” his family and said he was “sorry for the pain” he believed he had caused them. He expressed deep shame, writing that he felt he had “let everyone down” and could not see a way forward.
On July 29, Vaibhav purchased a firearm. Before his death, his parents said, he put on his white coat.
Vivek Duggal said his son had no history of depression or mental illness and was “full of life,” adding that he had been in a committed relationship and was planning to get married.
The family says the sudden disciplinary action, combined with warnings about his future and the loss of his role as a medical student, caused severe emotional harm during an already stressful period.
Our kids love us deeply,” Neeru told NRI Pulse. “They understand the sacrifices parents make to get them to this position. When authority figures send threatening messages late at night, it can be devastating.”
A Letter from the Class of 2028
The lawsuit includes documents pointing to wider concerns about the school’s environment. One of these is a letter written by the TTUHSC medical school Class of 2028, in which students raise concerns about what they describe as a punitive and unsupportive academic culture.
In the letter, students say there is a growing perception that the administration is not only unsupportive but at times actively adversarial toward students. They describe an atmosphere in which students feel they succeed despite, rather than because of, institutional support. The letter cites instances in which faculty members allegedly made discouraging remarks, including comments about wishing more students had failed exams and referring to the class as a “bad batch.”
The students also express concern that fear of punishment discourages open communication, discourages students from seeking help, and adds to already high levels of stress in medical training. They urge the administration to rebuild trust, show empathy, and prioritize student well-being alongside academic standards.
The Duggal family argues that this letter supports their claim that their son’s experience did not occur in isolation, but within a broader environment where disciplinary processes can feel intimidating and overwhelming.
The Katie Meyer Case
In explaining why they believe disciplinary processes can become dangerous, Duggal’s parents have drawn parallels to the case of Katie Meyer, the Stanford University soccer captain who died by suicide in March 2022 while facing university disciplinary action. Meyer’s family has said she received a lengthy disciplinary email late at night informing her of a hearing and possible sanctions, which left her deeply distressed.
Vivek Duggal told NRI Pulse he sees a troubling similarity between the two cases, saying that in both situations, late-night disciplinary emails escalated fear and pressure at a critical moment. “The similarities are disturbing,” he said.
NRI Pulse reached out to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs at TTUHSC El Paso, seeking comment. No response was received by publication time.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has not publicly responded to the detailed allegations in the Duggal lawsuit, citing student privacy laws.
The family says their lawsuit is about accountability — not only for their son, but to prevent similar tragedies.
“If even one person had intervened,” they say, “our son would still be alive.”
