BY HEIDI ULRICHSEN
A group of Laurentian University behavioural neuroscience students
locked out the institution’s animal research facility have filed a
$30.2 million lawsuit against the university.
Last November, the students, who are supervised by psychology
professor Michael Persinger, learned the university’s Animal Care
Committee had rejected their research protocols, saying they had
failed to submit acceptable plans for the use of animals in their
experiments.
A few days later, they were locked out of the Paul Field Animal
Facility. After re-writing their research protocols, the students
were allowed back in the facility three weeks later.
But on Feb. 21, after inspections by the animal facility’s
veterinarian, the students were locked out again. The lockout is
still in effect.
The university is concerned the Canadian Council on Animal Care
would recommend revoking funding for Laurentian research projects
if guidelines weren’t followed.
The 24 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, who are
representing themselves because they haven’t been able to find a
lawyer, are suing 18 people besides the university itself.
Among the defendants named on the statement of claim are
Laurentian University president Judith Woodsworth, vice-president
of academic francophone affairs Harley d’Entremont, associate
vice-president of anglophone affairs Susan Silverton, associate
vice-president of research Liette Vasseur and veterinarian Dr. Rod
Jouppi, who works for the Paul Field Animal Facility.
The students are seeking damages because of the “defamation of
their future careers and the program they will be graduating from,”
and several other factors, including breach of contract, breach of
trust and negligence.
None of the allegations in the statement of claim have been
proven in court.
PhD student Linda St. Pierre says she and her peers had no
choice but to file the lawsuit because they want to get back into
the the animal research facility.
They’ve asked for appeals with the Animal Care Committee on
numerous occasions, but have been ignored. Persinger was supposed
to have a speedy appeal, but two months later nothing has happened,
says St. Pierre.
“Enough is enough. Nobody will answer our e-mails, nobody will
meet with us. We’re still locked out of the labs,” she says. “It’s
just been insane.”
The students actually had a lawyer during the first lockout.
After they got back in the lab, they wanted to file a lawsuit, but
their lawyer said it “was just going to look vindictive.”
St. Pierre has been looking for another lawyer ever since, and
although nobody has formally taken on the case, she received advice
from a York University professor with a law degree.
The professor provided her with a copy of a lawsuit that a York student filed against that university after he was expelled for a peaceful protest.
St. Pierre used the document as a basis for the LU students’
lawsuit.
“We’re hoping that with a bit of publicity, we might be able to
get a lawyer who will take us on and help us out, but for the time
being, we’re just flying solo,” she says.
St. Pierre doesn’t know when the suit will go to court because
the process in only in the initial stages.
Laurentian University director of public affairs Michel Bechard did not return calls from Northern Life on the issue.
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