Epidemiologist blows whistle, UCLA responds by firing him

ACSH trustee Dr. James Enstrom is getting some support in his legal battle against the University of California at Los Angeles, which last year fired the epidemiologist from his post at the UCLA School of Public Health, a position he had held since 1976.

Enstrom and many others contend UCLA's actions seem clearly related to his "politically incorrect" research on fine-particulate air pollution known as "PM2.5." Enstrom's research has found no relationship between PM2.5 pollution and premature death putting him at odds with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which has enacted expensive regulations trying to reduce PM2.5 exposure from diesel engines.

ACSH science advisor Jerome Arnett Jr., M.D., writes in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons that Enstrom is a "national treasure" whose "moral integrity and determination in the face of great personal risk and suffering serve as a stellar example for others who face similar intimidation because of their politically incorrect views at colleges and universities all over the country."

During Enstrom's battle with the air resources board, he revealed how a CARB staffer, Hien Tran, faked his credentials, buying a mail-order Ph.D. from a diploma mill.

Assisted by the American Center for Law and Justice, Enstrom has filed a lawsuit against the University of California regents alleging that his right to free speech has been violated.