Ex-professor sues U of L; Says study was unsafe

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – A former University of Louisville neurosurgery professor has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was fired for reporting patient care and safety issues to the federal government.

The Courier-Journal reports (http://cjky.it/2bedmWc) that in a lawsuit filed in Jefferson Circuit Court last week, Daniel Graves says he was terminated in violation of the Kentucky whistleblower protection law. He reported human subject procedures he says compromised patient care and violated state and federal regulations.

Graves was part of a research team led by Dr. Susan Harkema that was trying to measure whether a muscle relaxant helped paralyzed subjects suspended from a harness stand. The study lost federal funding for unresolved problems with oversight, among other concerns.

University spokesman Gary Mans says the Graves wasn’t fired, but that his contract expired.

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Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.