{"id":5951,"date":"2018-12-10T19:51:12","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T00:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.khpi.org\/blog\/?p=5951"},"modified":"2018-12-11T13:05:16","modified_gmt":"2018-12-11T18:05:16","slug":"university-of-kentucky-dental-professor-forced-off-faculty-for-criticizing-gov-bevins-medicaid-cut-backs-gets-620000-in-court-settlement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.khpi.org\/blog\/university-of-kentucky-dental-professor-forced-off-faculty-for-criticizing-gov-bevins-medicaid-cut-backs-gets-620000-in-court-settlement\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Kentucky Dental Professor Forced Off Faculty for Criticizing Gov. Bevin’s Medicaid Cuts Gets $620,000 in Court Settlement."},"content":{"rendered":"

Yes. \u00a0But, behind them I suspect is the Emperor.<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Paul Atreides, in “Dune.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

More than a year ago I wrote about the capture of the academic process<\/a> by the Kentucky Governor’s Office where some unnamed individual with clout became “pissed-off” when Dental Professor Dr. Raynor Mullins exercised both his faculty and first-amendment rights to suggest that cutting back on dental and vision services to Medicaid beneficiaries was a bad idea. Everyone involved seemed to know who in Frankfort held the power to intimidate the leadership of our “Flagship University,” but the Governor’s office denied any involvement in the matter.\u00a0 (We have encountered that scenario before, right here in River City!)\u00a0 The University rolled over and dismissed Dr. Mullins.<\/p>\n

In response, and to both hold the University accountable and presumably to shine a bright light on what actually appended, Dr. Mullins filed a lawsuit<\/a> against the persons of the Vice President for Administrative and External Affairs and the Dean of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry.\u00a0 In my earlier commentary, I opined that perhaps under oath that the truthfulness of the allegations would come out\u2013 or not!\u00a0 It is not clear to me that any such disclosure happened. The University requested of Federal Judge Robert Wier a summary judgement (dismissal) of the case against it which was denied<\/a>. \u00a0As I understand it, before the case was to go to a jury trial, a private settlement was reached without any admission of guilt.\u00a0 I do not know how much pre-trial discovery was done. Today’s reports in the Lexington Herald<\/a> and Courier-Journal<\/a> do not refer to any information from depositions taken under oath. \u00a0Often such settlements include clauses of confidentiality that hide embarrassing findings from public view. Is it conceivable that court records might be sealed? \u00a0Is it possible that we may never know to whom the UK officials caved?<\/p>\n

What is just as disturbing as not ever knowing the identity of the bully is the claim that\u00a0communication within the University and with the Governor’s office in this matter was conducted using personal e-mails.\u00a0 The use of personal electronic devises and emails to skirt open-meeting and open-record laws is an emerging threat to the ability of the public to hold its government accountable.<\/p>\n

The University of Kentucky does not come off looking good in this matter.\u00a0 It seemingly admits no guilt at all, but some UK entity now has a 6-figure settlement to pay with legal fees to boot. Dr. Mullins is taken back in to the faculty. Transparency disappears. No one is held accountable. Dr. Mullins may not have achieved all his goals, but in my view, he stood up to the state agency that is the University of Kentucky and won!<\/p>\n

Peter Hasselbacher, MD
\nEmeritus Professor of Medicine,
\nUniversity of Louisville
\nDec 10, 2018<\/p>\n

[If anyone has public court documents or other information that might shed light on this sad affair\u2013 or for that matter correct any misunderstanding of mine\u2013 I hope they will communicate with me confidentially<\/a> or with the email link found in the side-bar of this website.]<\/p>\n

Here is a copy of Judge Wier’s opinion<\/a> of 9-28-18<\/p>\n

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