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USDA confirms investigation of New Iberia Research Center

The University of Louisiana's New Iberia Research Center is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act, a USDA spokesman confirmed Monday.

Darby Holladay of the USDA would not confirm that the investigation stemmed from allegations made by a former employee, but a lawsuit filed earlier this month by Narriman Fakier alleges she was fired for blowing the whistle on animal cruelty and violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

The lawsuit, filed against the state, Board of Supervisors of the UL System and UL, claims wrongful termination, retaliatory discharge, violation of First Amendment rights and violation of Whistleblower statutes.

Allegations listed in Fakier's lawsuit tell of monkeys who died of cold exposure and animals being abused at the center, which houses about 6,000 primates for medical research by pharmaceutical companies and the National Institutes of Health. The center also has about 400 chimpanzees used for medical research.

The university denies the allegations, said Ray Authement, UL president.

"We've been very diligent in pursuing complaints and having them investigated when reported," Authement said Monday.

Authement said he isn't aware of any other alleged violations against the center.

"We've had some things in terms of sizes of cages to respond to, but I know of no serious violation that was reported or not taken care of," he said. "This is a model center for the United States, and we're very proud of the way it was run."

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is investigating the research center, said Holladay, but he could offer few details about the pending investigation.

"There is an open investigation of possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act," Holladay said.

The act prohibits animals being anesthetized in groups, a practice Fakier alleges.

"The AWA stipulates that every licensee has to have at least an annual unannounced inspection," he said.

The Daily Advertiser has requested inspection reports of the NIRC for the past five years and information regarding any pending investigations against the center.

Calls to the New Iberia Research Center's director, Thomas Rowell, were directed to the director of UL's Public Relations and News Services Office, Julie Simon-Dronet. The UL office sent a release stating that while university officials were unable to comment on specific details in the lawsuit, "they are pleased with what was learned when these allegations were thoroughly investigated by the University's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the Office for Laboratory Animal Welfare and the United States Department of Agriculture."

The release stated that in 2003, the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care evaluated the center and found the program was "in conformance of its AAALAC-International standards and continued its full accreditation."

Fakier, a 20-year veteran in the animal research field, worked at the NIRC from September 2002 until Feb. 19, 2004.

The suit also alleges animal cruelty.

Fakier alleges that employees burned the back of chimpanzees' hands with lighters and also threw "scalding hot water" on another animal. The lawsuit states that Fakier fired the employee responsible, but the center refused to press animal cruelty charges against the employee.

The suit also alleges that monkeys housed outside during the winter months died as a result of exposure and that chimpanzee housing was infested with mice and roaches.

"Repeatedly blocked by NIRC officials as she continued to internally blow the whistle and voice her concerns, (Fakier) felt increasingly intimidated and fearful for her job, her career, the welfare of the chimpanzees and monkeys at NIRC and the safety of employees at the facility," the suit states.

Fakier was asked to resign from the center in February 2004 after voicing her concern about that young chimpanzees who had been in social groups since birth would be placed in separate cages near older, aggressive chimps for a study. The lawsuit states that Fakier believed the action would traumatize the animals.

Five days later she rescinded her resignation, but the next day received a letter that her resignation was already accepted.

She is seeking a jury trial and compensatory damages for lost income and loss of future earnings.