by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
A lawsuit against UNM and two professors alleges that a former University veterinarian was forced to resign after complaining about cruel experiments on animals.
The suit was filed May 27 by Daniel Theele, who was a veterinarian and director of the Animal Resource Facility since 1998.
Patrick Apodaca, UNM's attorney, said the University had not been served with the suit and declined further comment.
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Andrea Allan and Daniel Savage, the professors named in the lawsuit, declined to comment.
According to the lawsuit, Theele learned in 2004 that students had performed "unapproved research on animals involving extremely painful and distressful procedures" under Allan's supervision.
Theele reported the procedures to UNM's Oversight Committee on Animal Care and Use, which investigated his allegations, the lawsuit states.
The committee found that the animal research was in violation of University and federal policies, but it did not punish Allan, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states that Allan and Savage then began to retaliate against Theele, accusing him of condoning the research and being an alcoholic.
The accusations undermined Theele's ability to perform his job, so he resigned, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also accuses the University of interfering with Theele's First Amendment right to speak out against illegal practices.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for lost wages, a damaged career and emotional distress.
