Prof's protest still under review

The provost and a faculty panel reviewing a Veterinary professor's protest of research sanctions have not yet reached a ruling, although the sanctions are nearly two-thirds over. Microbiology Professor Jorge Ferrer, sanctioned in February for "lapses of judgement" that exposed 130 people to lambs carrying a leukemia-causing virus, said this week that the provost has not yet responded to his protest of the sanctions. "I do not know [what has happened]," Ferrer said Wednesday. "The provost asked the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility to reinvestigate the matter even though there was no new evidence." Ferrer filed a grievance with Provost Michael Aiken this spring, saying that the University's sanctions against him were improper since he was not found guilty of misconduct or of any violations. The committee did, however, find Ferrer principally responsible for the incident, due to "lapses of judgement and poor communication." Based on this finding, Vet School Dean Edwin Andrews imposed sanctions in February which prevent Ferrer from conducting animal research or conducting studies of the leukemia-causing virus. But according to Ferrer, the Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, charged with investigating the grievance this spring, found the sanctions "inappropriate" and said they "must be rescinded." Despite the recommendation, Aiken forwarded the report back to the committee this summer, asking for further investigation, Deputy Provost Richard Clelland said in July. Ferrer has not heard anything on the grievance since. Officials would not say this month when a decision on the grievance will be made. Aiken said in February that although Ferrer was not found guilty of misconduct, the charges were not "unfounded." In a response to Ferrer published in a March issue of the Almanac, Aiken said that the committee "made findings of fact that support the dean's sanctions." Aiken said last week that "we don't discuss personnel matters with the press." But regardless of the timing of the decision, the sanctions Ferrer is protesting are almost two-thirds finished, and are scheduled to end next June. If the decision is made in favor of Ferrer, however, University's Procedures Concerning Misconduct in Research state that "the dean and the provost have the responsibility to take an active role to repair any damage done to the reputation of the respondent." The costs of such repair, if justified, may be mounting. Ferrer has previously stated the sanctions would mean the loss of federal and private research funds. "Because of their nature, these punitive sanctions will most likely destroy a research program which, as judged by leading scientists in the field, has made fundamental contributions to leukemia and retro-virus research for more than 25 years," Ferrer said in a February statement. In addition, Ferrer said in July that the grievance report "also rules that the University should take immediate positive steps to restore my reputation and the University must provide me with assistance as necessary to keep my laboratory operational." James Ross, the newly elected chairperson of the Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, declined to comment this month on his committee's work on the grievance. "I can't answer on that because the committee hasn't taken formal action," Ross said. "The actions of this particular committee are always so confidential that nothing is ever made public until the committee makes a formal report." Ross said the committee has met twice this year. He also indicated that he was surprised the provost's office had revealed that the provost asked for further investigation from his committee. "I didn't think it was customary for the provost to comment on anything he brought before the attention of the committee," Ross said. "We normally wouldn't give that information out," Aiken admitted last week. Ferrer was found responsible for an April 1990 incident in which 14 lambs infected with HTLV-1, a virus that can lead to leukemia, were permitted to rejoin a healthy flock at the Vet School's New Bolton Center research facility in Chester County. Approximately 30 New Bolton Center staff members and 100 preschoolers later came in contact with the infected sheep. The faculty committee which investigated the original incident reported that those exposed to the lambs were in no danger of contracting the disease, which is transmitted through sexual contact, blood transfusions, breast milk or infected needles. Of those exposed, several dozen were later tested for the virus. All of the tests were negative. Staff writer Melissa Fragnito contributed to this story.

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