Off Topic: Scientist in Anthrax Probe Fired from University
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Scientist in Anthrax Probe Fired from University
Tue Sep 3, 7:33 PM ET
BATON ROUGE, La. (Reuters) - Dr. Steven Hatfill, a physician and germ warfare expert named by the FBI ( news - web sites) as a "person of interest" in the probe surrounding last year's deadly anthrax mailings, was fired from his job at Louisiana State University, the school said on Tuesday.
Hatfill, 48, who has twice publicly denied any involvement in the anthrax attacks, was associate director of the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training at LSU. He is one of 30 U.S.-based scientists the FBI has identified as "persons of interest."
Hatfill has not been named a suspect, but public pronouncements by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft ( news - web sites) have prompted Hatfill to complain publicly that his reputation was being unfairly tarnished without any evidence of wrongdoing.
The doctor has said his lawyers have filed an ethics complaint against Ashcroft and others.
LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert said in a statement he had decided it was "in the best interest of Louisiana State University to terminate its relationship" with Hatfill.
"In taking this action, the university is making no judgement as to Dr. Hatfill's guilt or innocence regarding the FBI investigation," Emmert said in a statement.
Victor Glasberg, Hatfill's lawyer, said his client would not fight the decision.
"This is an understandable and regrettable result of the defamation that he has had to deal with over the past couple of months and he will contend with it," Glasberg said from his office in Alexandria, Virginia.
The university placed Hatfill on paid administrative leave on Aug. 2, the day after FBI agents made a widely publicized search of his apartment near Fort Detrick, Maryland. Hatfill allowed FBI agents to search his apartment on another occasion in June.
The FBI since October has tried to identify who was responsible for the mailing of anthrax-laden letters to two U.S. senators and members of the news media. Five people died from anthrax and 13 others were infected.
The attacks sparked fear of another extremist plot, coming as they did in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Authorities later said they believed the anthrax mailings were a domestic crime.
Hatfill previously worked for the Army Medical institute of Infectious Disease, center of the nation's biological warfare defense research, at Fort Detrick. He had also worked at Science Applications International Corp., a defense contractor. |
