HACKENSACK, N.J. — A 70-year-old Hackensack University Medical Center physician says he was fired because hospital leadership wanted to “get younger,” according to a new lawsuit filed in Bergen County.

Dr. Joseph D. Napolitano, a board-certified ophthalmologist with nearly four decades of experience, claims his supervisor told him that age was behind his termination while Napolitano was visiting his dying brother in April 2025.

According to the lawsuit, Napolitano received a sudden call from his supervisor telling him he would be “discharged from employment.”

When Napolitano asked why, his supervisor allegedly responded: “we have to get younger and you and I are not the future of the department.”

Napolitano claims Hackensack University Medical Center and its parent company, Hackensack Meridian Health, discriminated against him based on his age and violated the terms of his employment contract.

The lawsuit also alleges the hospital failed to provide Napolitano with the 90 days’ notice required under a 2021 employment agreement.

Instead, the complaint claims Napolitano received an email during the first week of September informing him that he was no longer employed and would need to obtain his own malpractice insurance to maintain his privileges.

Napolitano has been board-certified in ophthalmology since 1997 and specializes in screening premature babies for vision problems, including retinopathy of prematurity, a serious condition that can cause blindness and requires specialized expertise.

According to the complaint, Napolitano began working in the neonatal intensive care unit at Hackensack University Medical Center in 2006, initially as an independent contractor before becoming an employee.

The lawsuit alleges that after Napolitano was terminated, the hospital replaced him with “a much younger” physician who was “not nearly as qualified or experienced” for the position.

The case comes as Hackensack University Medical Center remains one of Bergen County’s major medical institutions, making the allegations particularly notable locally.

Barry D. Epstein, an attorney representing Napolitano, called the case an unusually stark example of alleged age discrimination.

“The case presents an allegation of age discrimination in unusually stark terms,” Epstein said.

Hackensack Meridian Health declined to comment on the pending litigation.

“Hackensack Meridian Health values its patients and team members,” spokeswoman Mary McGeever said. “Providing a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for all our patients and staff is our number one priority.”

The lawsuit seeks financial compensation for emotional distress and economic losses that Napolitano claims resulted from his termination.

The allegations have not been proven in court.