After questions about qualifications, new St. Elizabeths Hospital CEO resigns

WASHINGTON - Over a month after he was hired to run St. Elizabeths Hospital by Mayor Muriel Bowser, James Edward Kyle is stepping down from the position.

Kyle was selected to lead the psychiatric facility in February, but questions about his qualifications have plagued the process from the beginning.

The mayor was singing his praises in a press release announcing Dr. Kyle's appointment as the hospital's new chief executive officer saying, "Dr. Kyle is a nationally board certified health care executive with over 30 years of experience in the medical field."

But some in the community have been questioning his resume saying hospitals under Kyle's supervision have been shut down because of negligence.

In a letter provided to FOX 5 by Dr. Kyle a few weeks ago, in 2013, the Board of Nursing with the D.C. Department of Health decided Kyle didn't have the educational experience for the director of practical nursing position he was applying for at the time.

Dr. Kyle contacted FOX 5 providing documents he felt would prove his case. He said it was the D.C. government's mistake for not vetting him properly.

On Tuesday, Mayor Bowser said she asked for Kyle's resignation, but declined to tell us why she did.

"I can't talk specifically about personnel matters, but we want to move in a new direction, so we will," said Bowser.

Amid all the resume red flags and qualification questions after his appointment, the mayor never mentioned the new appointment during her recent State of the District address a couple of weeks ago and refused to comment about Kyle's appointment until Tuesday.

FOX 5 attempted to Dr. Kyle on Tuesday, but he has not returned our calls.