When we learned earlier this week that Bharat Aggarwal, the MD Anderson researcher under investigation there for possible misconduct, had directed his attorneys to send us a pull-all-your-posts-about-our-client-or-we’ll-sue-you letter, we wondered if he’d included the Houston institution in that decision.
Turns out he’d been acting on his own. Scott Merville, a spokesperson for MD Anderson told us last night that Aggarwal had not consulted the hospital on the move.
Merville also confirmed that the inquiry into Aggarwal’s research was ongoing, although he would not provide a timetable for a possible report on the findings.
Since this is clearly a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), and I see from wikipedia that Texas has anti-SLAPP legislation, will you be making a SLAPP claim against Aggarwal and the law firm?
Texas’ SLAPP statute is strong — one of the best in the country. However, it is only available once someone has filed a lawsuit. Dr. Aggarwal’s lawyers have only threatened a lawsuit. If Dr. Aggarwal is foolish enough to file suit, I’m confident Retraction Watch will receive many offers of pro bono help — some possibly from prominent First Amendment and online freedom organizations — who will be intimately familiar with how the anti-SLAPP statute works.
Checkmate, it seems.
Game point yes, set and match, no.
Can you post some more information about the SLAPP law? Looks like this should be made international law to protect news reports from such lawsuits.
Gurunath, you could try starting here.
Marcus is inquiry still ongoing or over in this case.