Tulane Law School Clinician Resigns, Says University Gag Order Censored Her Pollution And Racial Disparity Research

New Orleans Times-Picayune, Tulane environmental researcher quits, accuses university of placing her under 'gag order':

A Tulane University researcher and environmental advocate who studied racial disparities in health impacts from Louisiana’s petrochemical industry resigned on Wednesday, citing censorship from university leaders who believed her work had made elected officials “embarrassed and uncomfortable.”

Kimberly Terrell, who served as director of community engagement for the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, accused the university of putting her under a “gag order” and sacrificing academic freedom to appease state officials. She also alleged that Tulane was prioritizing securing funding from the state for a high-priced redevelopment of New Orleans’ Charity Hospital over her own academic freedom. ...

Tulane disputed Terrell's description of the circumstances surrounding her resignation. A spokesperson for Gov. Jeff Landry said he never threatened to withhold funding, though the governor's office appreciated Tulane "standing up for our Louisiana businesses and jobs.” 

Emails and an audio recording indicate chatter around Terrell’s work emerged at Tulane Day at the Capitol in Baton Rouge on April 16 — a celebration of the university’s contributions to the state’s economy and an opportunity to pitch its Charity Hospital project. The formerly state-run hospital in downtown New Orleans has been vacant since Hurricane Katrina, an eyesore on the city’s skyline. 

While Tulane’s leaders were at the Capitol, news outlets, including The Times-Picayune, published stories about Terrell’s most recent peer-reviewed study, which found that, while poor and Black communities bear the brunt of the health risks associated with petrochemical pollution, people of color were underrepresented in the industry’s workforce. 

About 10 days later, Tulane’s law school dean Marcilynn A. Burke said in an email to Terrell that “all external communications that are not client-based—that is, directly related to representation—must be pre-approved by me.” Terrell linked to the emails in her statement. 

Statement on Kimberly Terrell Resigning Amid Allegations of University Censorship:

Dr. Kimberly Terrell, director of community engagement at Tulane University’s Environmental Law Clinic, has decided to resign, alleging university administrators restricted her ability to publish and speak publicly about her research on pollution and racial disparities in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.”

“Cancer Alley” is a nickname that refers to an approximately 85-mile stretch of communities along the banks of the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge because of its concentration of petrochemical facilities. Parts of “Cancer Alley” have the highest risk of cancer from industrial air pollution in the United States. In recent years, Dr. Terrell’s research has linked air pollution to higher cancer rates among Black and poor communities in Louisiana, and systemic racism within the petrochemical industry workforce—despite industry promises to deliver jobs to underserved communities. ...

• Above the Law, Law School Banned Clinic From Talking About Studies That Made Governor Sad
• AP, Tulane Scientist Resigns Citing University Censorship of Pollution and Racial Disparity Research
• Floodlight News, Tulane Scientist Resigns, Citing ‘Gag Order’ on Environmental Justice Research
• The Guardian, Tulane University Scientist Resigns Citing Environmental Censorship
• Inside Higher Education, Tulane Environmentalist Resigns Amid Research ‘Gag Order’
• Louisiana Illuminator, Tulane Scientist Resigns, Citing ‘Gag Order’ on Environmental Justice Research

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