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University of Washington officials accused of falsifying USDA reports in complaint FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ATTENTION: Daybook/News Desk University of Washington officials accused of falsifying USDA reports
in complaint; News Conference set Thursday SEATTLE - University of Washington officials here have filed false
reports to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - and have engaged in a
cover-up to conceal illegal activities in its laboratories, according to
a complaint filed with the USDA by a national research watchdog
organization. A major news conference to release details of the complaint will be
held on THURSDAY, 10:15 a.m. at the Seattle Tower (1218 Third Avenue,
3rd Floor, Room 315), hosted by SAEN, an Ohio-based non-profit
investigatory organization. SAEN was the original filer of the federal complaint which exposed
abuses by UW researcher Albert Fuchs in late 2006. Fuchs has since been
reprimanded by the UW, cited by the USDA and barred from publishing his
research. Thursday, SAEN will make public internal UW documents indicating the
school has falsified reports by not reporting research which cause
unrelieved pain and/or distress. SAEN analysts have concluded UW
projects fall into this category, but have not been reported honestly.
The university is liable for heavy fines for violating federal law. SAEN said it will name names at the news conference, including that
of UW researcher Michael Shadlen, who is suspected of performing
unapproved surgeries. SAEN said it has uncovered protocols at UW where researchers
routinely deprive macaque monkeys of water for as long as 18 hours per
day, 5 days per week. In other laboratories these practices have led to
primates of approximately 28 pounds receiving less than one-quarter cup
of water for an entire day. "The practice of depriving primates of water is such a cruel practice
that it should not be allowed by government regulatory agencies," said
Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T., SAEN's Executive Director. "If a private
individual deprived a companion animal of water in this way, they would
go to jail." -30-
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University of Washington - Seattle
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