Pubdate: Tue, 24 Jun 2014
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2014 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: Mari Herras

SPONSOR APPEAL

The Drama Over the Termination of a UA Assistant Professor and the 
Future of Marijuana Research Continues

After making it clear UA policy prevents its administrators from 
commenting on personnel issues last week, the university released a 
letter it sent to Sue Sisley dated Wednesday, July 9 that provided 
"details" on the decision to not renew the marijuana researcher's contract.

The letter, forwarded to the Tucson Weekly on Saturday, July 19, was 
provided by George Humphrey, assistant vice president of the Arizona 
Health Sciences Center's office of public affairs "that explains more 
about her non-renewal."

Humphrey said in his July 19 email that the UA continues "in talks 
with the sponsor to continue the research and we will be proposing a 
new principal investigator to the sponsor." However, last week's 
cover story (See "Reefer Research Madness, July 17) explained that 
the UA assistant professor's sponsor for her federally-approved 
research on marijuana treating veterans with PTSD, continues to stand 
by her and wants her to remain the study's PI.

Humphrey added that there are two points that he believes 
demonstrates the UA is an active supporter of marijuana research-once 
again referring to SB 1443 that helped make way for marijuana 
research on state universities.

"The UA championed a change in Arizona law last year to allow 
marijuana research on campus," he wrote. The second point he added is 
that, "It was a UA team that did the scientific literature review 
that helped inform Arizona's recent decision to allow TSD to be used 
as palliative care for veterans with PTSD."

The law Humphrey refers to, SB 1443, is a statute that allows 
marijuana research on state college campuses to address a 2012 state 
law that prohibited posession and use of medical marijuana on campuses.

However, in our last story, Sisley told the Weekly that she believes 
the UA is on a mission to make sure it doesn't come across as a 
research institution that won't support controversial research or is 
controlled by the political whims of state lawmakers. Sisley said she 
believes her dismissal isn't about job performance, but political 
pressure from state Senate President Andy Biggs.

In the July 19 letter from the UA to Sisley, signed by Skip Garcia, 
senior vice president for health sciences at the UA Arizona Health 
Sciences Center and Stuart D. Flynn, dean of the UA College of 
Medicine in Phoenix, that while not required to "provide specific 
reasons for their nonrenewal decisions ... we certainly appreciate 
that you may feel frustrated with the University's process, and 
therefore are providing you with the following details regarding 
these decisions."

According to the letter, a strategic change in the UA's Telemedicine 
Program, of which Sisley worked, to focus on rural health profession 
outreach and education contributed to a decision to discontinue her 
role after Sept. 29, 2014.

Evidently, Sisley's past titles were also part of the decision. 
Garcia and Flynn wrote that a review of her appointments and her 
terminated role in the Telemedicine Program left her, well, title-less.

" ... Your courtesy (Associate) faculty title (Clinical Assistant 
Professor in the College of Medicine - Phoenix, Department of 
Psychiatry), was approved in 2007 by Dean Flynn. There was a brief 
period during which you held a paid clinical lecturer title, but in 
November 2008, your volunteer Associate title was reinstated," they wrote.

"As a faculty Associate, your title carried no salary, was offered in 
connection with your work in the Telemedicine program, and could be 
terminated at any time without notice. Because your position in 
Telemedicine will terminate in September, a courtesy faculty title no 
longer would be appropriate."

The final detail from the letter is Sisley's role as coordinator of 
special projects for the UA College of Medicine in Phoenix. The 
position was dependent on the availability of external funding, which 
as of late was an interagency service contract with the Arizona 
Department of Health Services. "The majority of the contract 
deliverables were to be completed by February 15, 2014, and the 
University expects the completion of this contract by mid-September. 
With its completion, your participation in this program no longer 
would be supported."

Whatever the reasons for Sisley's termination, her attorneys made it 
clear in their appeal, submitted Tuesday, July 15, that they believe 
the UA has refused to provide documented reasons for her termination. 
"The decision to effectively terminate seemed to take place in an 
environment of outside political pressure, but these assumptions 
cannot be verified due to the University's aforementioned refusal to 
provide grounds, evidence, or a hearing with regard to the instant 
matter. This procedure has been rendered an empty formality," her 
attorneys state in the appeal.

Without evidence or a hearing, Sisley "finds herself in the 
Kafkaesque position of trying to address non-existent accusations 
that have nonetheless deprived her of her career and research."

The Veterans Administration statistic, that an average of 22 veterans 
commit suicide every day due to untreated or undertreated PTSD, the 
attorneys ask that even if there is a small chance her research could 
save lives, why would the UA prevent that from occurring?

"The University of Arizona has a wonderful opportunity-a teachable 
moment-to admit that it's erred in this matter and reinstate Dr. 
Sisley. She is essential to the immediate implementation of research 
that could give much-needed help to those who have served our 
country. Reinstating Dr. Sisley would be the best way that the 
University could serve our cherished, yet wounded, veterans."

Humphrey said the UA continues to talk to Sisley's sponsor, MAPS, to 
find a new PI for the study. However, that continues to go against 
everything MAPS has publicly stated-where Sisley goes so does MAPS 
and the research.

In a July 11 letter to Caroline Garcia, UA associate vice president 
for research, from MAPS Executive Director Rick Doblin, their 
declaration of allegiance to the terminated doctor is obvious and how 
further talks with change that is unclear.

"It is my understanding that Dr. Sisley is appealing her termination 
from the University of Arizona. MAPS adds our appeal to hers that you 
reconsider and reinstate her at the University of Arizona," Doblin 
wrote. " ... MAPS will continue to partner with Dr. Sisley through 
our next challenge to secure a supportive home for this crucial work, 
ideally still at the University of Arizona."

To read all correspondence provided to the Weekly, as well as Sue 
Sisley's appeal, visit The Range at daily.tucsonweekly.com.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom