Legal battle between two rival doctors results in dancefloor-biting during church fundraiser

An unfriendly rivalry between two doctors working at a medical practice in New Jersey culminated in one biting the other on the neck during a conflict at a church fundraiser. 

According to an updated lawsuit, the two men were engaged in a legal battle at the time the incident occurred on Nov. 20, 2025, at a fancy restaurant, where the community was raising money for Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

The alleged biter, Tamin Naber, MD, is said to have confronted Anan Haija, MD, during the event, angry about the pending wrongful termination lawsuit Haija and another physician had filed against him.

In a legal complaint, Haija alleged that Naber and SMC Physicians, the medical group where the two worked, fired him without cause. That civil case is still pending in a county superior court, according to coverage from NJ.com. 

Meanwhile, at this church fundraising event, an enraged Naber allegedly tried to carry Haija onto the dance floor. As the latter resisted, he was allegedly bitten on the neck so hard he sustained a bloody wound. 

Citing sources with the police, reporters added that Naber then cursed at Haija and insulted his family. Naber, a nephrologist, was charged with simple assault and ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $983. 

According to NJ.com, the incident was caught on tape by the restaurant's surveillance cameras. 

Haija received medical treatment at a local hospital after the biting. 

Friends turned enemies

Court documents state that the two doctors were not always bitter enemies. Having known each other for nine years, Naber and Haija were once friends. Haija was asked to help run a new rheumatology division at SMC Physicians, of which Naber is a founder. In 2021, Haija and another doctor accepted the offer and joined the practice. 

After that time, the report from NJ.com details a contract dispute that occurred between the parties, where it’s alleged Naber reneged on an agreement to give Haija and his partner operational control of the department, plus a certain amount of revenue share. 

Further, the complaint states that Naber’s wife, who is also a founding member of SMC Physicians, withdrew funds from the business. This and other decisions led Haija and another doctor to confront Naber, who then allegedly fired them. 

The lawsuit also claims that, in text messages sent in 2023, Naber threatened to shoot and bite Haija. 

It’s alleged that he made good on the second part of that threat when the opportunity arose at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church gathering. 

For more, read NJ.com’s coverage at the link below.