Former Autism Researcher Prevails on Whistleblower Claim Against University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT (Aug. 29, 2018)—On Aug. 29, 2018, a jury returned a verdict in favor of Dr. Judith Pinbourgh Zimmerman on a claim brought under the Utah Whistleblower Act. After five years of litigation, Dr. Zimmerman finally got her day in court and prevailed on one of two claims brought against the University of Utah and Dr. William McMahon, the former Chair of the Department of Psychiatry.
As a speech language pathologist, Dr. Zimmerman spent her career seeking answers for children with autism. In 2005, Dr. Zimmerman accepted a faculty position at the University of Utah Department of Psychiatry and was named director of the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (“URADD”). As a database, URADD collected data about children with autism in several counties in Utah, including protected health information and personally identifiable data.
In 2012, Dr. Zimmerman was concerned that researchers at the University had accessed the data contained within URADD without the proper authorizations. After Dr. Zimmerman reported these concerns to multiple different offices at the University, Dr. McMahon informed her that her yearly contract would not be renewed.
In a seven-day jury trial, Dr. Zimmerman went head-to-head with the University and Dr. McMahon. On Wednesday, a jury found in favor of Dr. Zimmerman on her Whistleblower claim and awarded her $119,000 for lost wages, plus costs and attorneys’ fees. “After such a lengthy legal battle, I am just relieved to be done and to have my claim validated by a jury,” said Dr. Zimmerman.
Dr. Zimmerman was represented at trial by April Hollingsworth, of Hollingsworth Law Office. “Whistleblower claims are notoriously difficult to win so I am pleased the jury saw that the University retaliated against Dr. Zimmerman for making valid complaints of possible research misconduct,” said Ms. Hollingsworth.
For more information, contact April Hollingsworth at (801) 415-9909 or april@aprilhollingsworthlaw.com.
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Hollingsworth Law Office is a law office in Salt Lake City, specializing in plaintiff’s-side employment law.
March 05, 2017 Autism, mercury, thimerosal and vaccines
The fake news media (CNN, WashPo, NYT, etc.) doesn’t want you to see any of the scientific evidence presented here for the simple reason that it shows mercury in vaccines is damaging to children.
http://www.newstarget.com/2017-03-05-autism-mercury-thimerosal-and-vaccines-natural-news-releases-collection-of-scientific-knowledge-thats-been-suppressed.html
Posted by: Brian James | September 02, 2018 at 10:11 PM
IT was Allie that provided us all with the link, Jill thanks for the great synopsis of the situation.
Posted by: Benedetta | September 01, 2018 at 09:06 AM
From link provided by Benedetta (thank you) -
"In addition to raising issues of research integrity and privacy, Zimmerman’s allegations have broad implications for the integrity of CDC’s autism surveillance estimates. Court documents reveal that Zimmerman was concerned that errors in Utah’s autism data were finding their way into CDC estimates beginning with the 2010 ADDM report, which provided estimates of autism rates among children born in 2002. If uncorrected, these errors might have continued in the 2012 report released earlier this year, measuring autism rates in children born in 2004.
Utah’s autism rates carry unusual importance in part because Utah’s reported autism rate in the 2008 ADDM report was the highest of all participating sites. In that report, Utah’s rate of 1 in 47 children born with autism in 2000 was the highest rate ever recorded in the United States; it was also an increase of 155% over Utah’s 1994 birth group, which at the time was the third highest rate in the country. Since reaching a peak in the 2000 birth group, Utah’s autism rates have plummeted while most other states have shown continued increases in the last two ADDM reports."
So now what happens to McMahon? Does anyone investigate the REAL numbers for autism in Utah? Does the University clean up it's act because I am sure that Dr. Zimmerman complained to higher ups in the University? Or is it business as usual - move along, nothing to see here?
Also from link: (dated July 2016) Judge Parrish’s decision directly denied McMahon and the University’s request to dismiss Zimmerman’s allegations in 7 out of 12 causes of action in her complaint. McMahon and the University succeeded in dismissing 3 of the 12 causes; the remaining two were certified to the Utah Supreme Court, with Parrish asking for guidance in the absence of “controlling Utah law.’
What happened to the two remaining causes? What were they?
Posted by: Jill | August 31, 2018 at 06:44 PM
We are winning – I know we are ! Can you feel it ?
https://www.pharmacytimes.com/resource-centers/immunization/cdc-more-adolescents-receiving-hpv-vaccination-but-improvement-needed
In a prepared statement, CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, said the HPV vaccine is the best way to protect young people from developing cancers caused by the virus. “Vaccination is the key to cervical cancer elimination,” said Redfield, in the statement. “I’m pleased to see parents are taking advantage of this crucial public health tool and thank the clinicians who are working to ensure all children are protected from these cancers in the future.”
A new report shows that 51% of adolescents have not completed the HPV vaccine series, according to the CDC. Although HPV vaccination rates are increasing overall, the agency has indicated there is room for improvement.
According to the CDC, many adolescents also are not up to date on the meningococcal conjugate vaccine with 56% of people aged 13 to 17 years in the United States having no received both recommended doses. The number of adolescents receiving the first dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine was 7 percentage points lower in rural areas compared to urban areas.
Posted by: Sophie Scholl | August 31, 2018 at 09:25 AM
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2018/08/16/CDC-1-in-4-adults-have-a-disability-that-impacts-daily-life/8421534423136/
"At some point in their lives, most people will either have a disability or know someone who has a one," Dr. Coleen Boyle, director of CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a press release. "Learning more about people with disabilities in the United States can help us better understand and meet their health needs."
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Colon Boil is absolutely correct here, she should know !
Particularly given her cooking of the vaccine books back in 2001-2003
25% of the US now has a disability - and Colon has played her parts towards achieving that !
Posted by: Sophie Scholl | August 31, 2018 at 08:14 AM
Here we are again!
Data Delinquency Disorder with Data Delinquency doing a "Time Warp"temper tantrum for getting caught neutering the data ?
The character lineup has a presentation that looks like The Rocky Horror Picture Show! with Dr Frankly Fluffy Forensics caught red handed fondeling and medically molesting the scientific data?
With a bit of a mind flip -you're into a time slip-and nothing can ever be the same ! to make vaccinations appear to be "The secret to life itself"
The folk in the high tower at Castle Vaccination won't be pleased with Dr Mahoney Baloney who has
"Failed his mission"
Rocky Horror Picture Show [ Time Warp] Lyrics Youtube
Well done! Dr Judith Zimmerman
Posted by: Morag | August 31, 2018 at 08:07 AM
Sophie, it is to be noted that the parents in Philippines seem to have the backing of their government. When I visited the Philippines this summer, there was a newspaper article, stating that President Duterte had instructed the public health department to track down and inform all parents whose children had been given the dengue vaccine. The number of such children was very large- many thousands.
Posted by: Cherry Misra | August 31, 2018 at 07:41 AM
Thank you, Bill, for saying it better than I did. Everyone here should take a stroll over to Autism Investigated (sorry, I'm useless at links), where Jake has posted a video interview by Dr. P Harvey (a coauthor on the 1998 Wakefield paper). In it he describes the symptoms of brain injury, caused by blast, or road accident. They sound remarkably similar to my symptoms of autism, caused by vaccines. So our condition is not psychogenic, emotional, moral or behavioural, it's neurological injury. If someone has a stroke, and they start swearing like a trooper, no-one claims they have lost their moral standards, because they know it's outside their control. It's important for us all to be aware of that, and not let the psychiatrists get their dangerous hands on us/our children.
Posted by: Grace Green | August 31, 2018 at 06:47 AM
@ Benedetta
Here is more information on the allegations:
http://www.ageofautism.com/2016/07/utah-autism-whistleblower-lawsuit-will-go-to-trial-after-federal-judge-denies-a-majority-of-defendants-motions-to-dismiss.html
Posted by: Allie | August 30, 2018 at 07:33 PM
@ Bill,
Thanks for your comment; I have terrible/deadly family experience from psychotropic drugs prescribed to too many of my family and other friends.
The latest Florida "Gaming Tournament" with two deaths, and many wounded, was by an assailant "on his meds" (psychomeds), having his mind destroyed by his legal presciriptions.
This onslaught of deranged murders by those on their psychomeds, is clearly related to their being vaccine-damaged, thence onto their damn mind-altering drugs. In my extensive view these many deadly school killings, etc,. spring DIRECTLY from the neurotoxic effects of infant/child vaccines.
This is pretty damn clear when reviewing the available drug-prescription history of such assailants, so many being on prescribed psychotropic drugs related to the autism spectrum, ADHD, ADD, and other mental conditions CAUSED by toxic vaccines.
Posted by: david m burd | August 30, 2018 at 03:51 PM
So proud of Dr Zimmerman for taking on Dr Machan and the U and WINNING!! So so proud of her and her perseverance!!!
Posted by: Jan | August 30, 2018 at 02:59 PM
Full story here
http://truthinmedia.com/utah-whistleblower-lawsuit-alleges-data-errors-research-misconduct-as-cdc-report-releases-us-autism-rate/
Posted by: Radar | August 30, 2018 at 01:50 PM
Ah, psychiatry. Here we go AGAIN. Psychiatry is a pseudoscience, a drug racket, and a means of social control. It's 21st Century Phrenology, with potent neurotoxins. In psychiatry, "ethics" is a dirty word!
Yes of course, there are a few psychs who are competent, capable, honest, and compassionate. They are the distinct minority. Based on my personal experience alone, I will no longer have ANYTHING to do with ANY psychiatrist. Psych drugs are potent neuro-toxins. Again, please visit >madinamerica.com<, for some TRUTH.
BTW, I'd like to ask AoA to do a more detailed story on this, from the autism angle. What GOOD, *and* what HARM has "URADD" done for the autism community?
Thanks for all you do, people, and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Posted by: Bill | August 30, 2018 at 01:17 PM
Bravo to Dr. Zimmerman for her perseverance. I wish more info on her case was available right now via Google, but knowing their nefarious associations with government surveillance agencies I’m not holding my breath.
“Whistleblower” is the title of a new CBS-TV program on Friday nights, hosted by retired judge Alex Ferrer. The seven episodes so far have exposed illegal activities at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Wells Fargo, Northrop, a school lunch program, a cardiology clinic, and a medical records software company, among other lawbreakers. Such altruistic investigative content is worthy of viewer support.
Posted by: nhokkanen | August 30, 2018 at 12:17 PM
Benedetta
Dr. Zimmerman reported data errors (inaccurate autism rates) in addition to the research misconduct.
The following article explains more in depth her claims of misconduct...
http://truthinmedia.com/utah-whistleblower-lawsuit-alleges-data-errors-research-misconduct-as-cdc-report-releases-us-autism-rate/
Also this...Data on CDC Autism rates inaccurate
https://vaccineimpact.com/2016/another-cdc-whistleblower-adds-fuel-to-vaxxed-films-fight-against-censorship/
Posted by: Pam | August 30, 2018 at 11:50 AM
What was her second claim against the university?
And just WOW! I am so pleased that the jurors were intelligent, sensitive, and thoughtful souls. You never know.
Posted by: Benedetta | August 30, 2018 at 07:13 AM
seeking-justice
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/photo/08/30/18/seeking-justice
Relatives of people who died of dengue despite receiving Dengvaxia vaccination wait outside the Department of Justice on Thursday. The group is set to file a case of reckless imprudence against former Department of Health officials and Sanofi Pasteur officials.
Posted by: Sophie Scholl | August 30, 2018 at 06:29 AM
I commend this brave lady for taking a stand against her unfair treatment by the University of Utah.
Dr. William McMahon, the former Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, should hang his head in shame.
Posted by: Jenny Allan | August 30, 2018 at 06:12 AM
Very Pleased for Dr. Zimmerman of course but we are looking for the big one .
William Thompson ! 4 Years and counting (The BBC has never printed his name !)
And this Too:
And the mumps rabbits blood Merck efficacy trial
https://australiannationalreview.com/2018/08/26/merck-vaccine-fraud-exposed-by-two-merck-virologists-company-faked-mumps-vaccine-efficacy-results-for-over-a-decade-says-lawsuit-2/2/
http://ahrp.org/former-merck-scientists-sue-merck-alleging-mmr-vaccine-efficacy-fraud/
Stephen A. Krahling and Joan A. Wlochowski, former Merck virologists blew the whistle by filing a qui tam action lawsuit — U.S. v Merck & Co. — in August 2010. The scientists allege that the efficacy tests for the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (MMR) were faked. The document was unsealed in June, 2012.
Posted by: Sophie Scholl | August 30, 2018 at 06:12 AM