In a Sept. 11 release the University of Kentucky said it had followed through on plans to terminate the employment of Dr. Scott Stanley, the former head of the Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab that provided drug testing for Thoroughbred racing.
The release said it had terminated Stanley's employment following "a serious breach of ethics and policy violations related to misconduct and mismanagement of the institution’s former EACL." After initial findings from a UK internal audit investigation, the university had announced a year ago that it had begun the process to revoke Stanley’s tenure as a faculty member, with the intention of terminating him as a university employee.
The release noted that the termination of a tenured faculty member is rare but is permissible under Kentucky Revised Statutes for reasons of incompetence, neglect of or refusal to perform duties, or for immoral conduct.
BloodHorse reached out to Stanley's attorney but did not hear back after providing some time for response. This story will be updated with any such response. Last year a statement issued by Stanley's attorney called the University of Kentucky audit report inaccurate and said Stanley didn't intentionally do anything wrong.
The school said that among the audit findings is confirmation that a test commissioned by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit—a result that Stanley reported—was never performed. The findings also indicate that some other test results may have been compromised by Stanley’s actions.
Stanley exploited vulnerabilities in technology, governance, and oversight, the audit concludes. Additionally, the investigation found that Stanley potentially engaged in business and employment relationships that constitute conflicts of interests. Specifically, the school says that Stanley purposefully chose not to disclose external work, violating university rules requiring disclosure.
READ: UK Plans to Fire Former Lab Director Stanley
Because of those findings, the university says Stanley was charged with the following violations:
- Failure to perform duties: misrepresentation, falsification of test results, and fraudulent billing.
- Failure to perform duties and/or incompetence: Lack of internal controls (to prevent tampering and manipulation of data) and lack of oversight of EACL operations.
- Failure to perform duties and/or incompetence: Conflicts of interest/commitment and improper hiring practices.
The UK release said the decision by the board of trustees concludes a year-long process in accordance with the university’s administrative regulations. In lieu of a hearing before the board of trustees, the process concluded with a board special session Sept. 11. Board members questioned both Stanley’s attorney and the university’s attorney on the matter and reviewed university and legal filings. They subsequently voted to revoke his tenure and dismiss him from university employment.
“At the University of Kentucky, we are committed to advancing Kentucky through research and service of the highest quality,” said UK board chair Dr. Britt Brockman. “We must uphold the highest ethical standards and comply fully with university and industry regulations. Any violations of these policies are taken seriously and addressed to maintain the integrity of this work—the work of thousands of people across this institution.”
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
