University of Nevada Reno professor Dr. Hussein S. Hussein was fired on April 11th. The cause for his dismissal is still under debate.
UNR’s president, Milton Glick ordered a disciplinary investigation on Hussein earlier this year. Glick appointed Peter Breen, a former Washoe County District Court judge, to investigate Hussein’s alleged misuse of laboratory funds and alleged plagiarism of his graduate students’ work. Glick has stated that the report filed by Breen following the investigation was the reason behind Hussein’s dismissal.
Hussein says that he believes the motivation behind his termination was based on a report he filed in 2004 to federal officials reporting improper hiring procedures and animal abuse at the university’s agriculture research farms. His information led to a federal investigation and eventual $11.400 fine paid by UNR.
Since his dismissal, Hussein, an internationally known animal nutritionist, has had 11 separate civil lawsuits filed on his behalf against UNR by his attorney, Jeffery Dickerson. They call for Hussein’s reinstatement, full retroactive pay and benefits and an injunction to recind Glick’s order banning him from the UNR campus.
On March 28, U.S. District Court Judge James Mahan found Hussein and Dickerson in contempt of court and ordered a $25,000 fine for filing what he called, “vexatious or annoying litigation“ with these civil suits. Hussein and Dickerson are currently attempting to appeal those charges.
A group of about 30 citizen activists organized a rally todayon Hussein’s behalf at the UNR campus, holding signs and calling for Governor Jim Gibbons and the Nevada Board of Regents to get involved in an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of UNR’s research animals. They also demanded his reinstatement.
Hussein is asking The Nevada Board of Regents to consider his reinstatement at their June 12 meeting.
