Ethics Complaints against Dr. Tyrone Hayes
In addition to the questions about Dr. Hayes’ methodology and findings related to atrazine that have been raised by scientists and regulators, his professional behavior has also been called into question.
Dr. Hayes’ Abusive Email Messages
Over the past several years, Dr. Tyrone Hayes, a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley, has subjected employees of Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. to numerous harassing emails. These emails have not only been aggressive, unprofessional, and insulting, but also salacious and lewd.
These offensive emails to Syngenta employees are copied to scientists from other universities as well as scientists at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Over time, Dr. Hayes’ emails became increasingly taunting, harassing and sexually explicit in nature. Examples of offensive text include:
- “Now, you’re just “Trick”…paying your H*’s hoping to keep your pimp happy.”
- “by the way…i saw what you wrote (you dumb d*ck!).”
- “tell your little lap dog to wear knee pads next time and wipe the *** from his mouth before he steps up to the mic.”
- “Oh Cindy C, will you play with me?….oh Cindy C, I will pay the fee”
In addition to the emails listed above, Syngenta provided more than 80 similar messages from Dr. Hayes as part of a formal complaint filed with the University of California, Berkeley, on July 16, 2010. The complaint details serious breaches of the University’s Standards of Ethical Conduct by Dr. Hayes. In response to the University’s dismissal of the complaint, Syngenta sent another letter to the University on September 24, 2010 to complete the record of facts surrounding Dr. Hayes’s actions.
Recent media coverage echoes Syngenta’s concern:
- “Environmentalist turns to e-bullying” – The Washington Times
- “‘I told Ya, You Can’t Stop the Rage,’ UC Endocrinologist Dr. Hayes Writes to Syngenta” – Science
- “E-mails spark ethics row” – Nature
Dr. Hayes’ Inappropriate Attacks on Other Scientists
Such behavior previously elicited a complaint by a member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry who called for the professional censure of Dr. Hayes following a presentation Dr. Hayes made at the organization’s 2008 symposium. Among the concerns raised by this independent scientist were that Dr. Hayes made an “inappropriate attack” against “a decent, solid, veteran scientist, with good professional ethics.”
Resources
- Complaint filed with the University of California, Berkeley, on July 16, 2010
- Collection of more than 80 aggressive, unprofessional and insulting email messages from Dr. Hayes
Category: Tyrone Hayes
