Nathaniel Abraham Case Against Woods Hole Thrown Out
The Scientist blogger Alla Katsnelson reports that the case against Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute brought in Massachusetts by Nathaniel Abraham, represented by vocal fundamentalist Christian attorney David Gibbs, has been dismissed. That's the good news; the bad news is that it was tossed out on a technicality, so there may be an appeal to come. Essentially, the case wasn't filed within the required time frame after a previous hearing before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. That commission had already found against Abraham, of course. The court dismissal, issued April 22, also states that Abraham does not have the right to sue Mark Hahn personally.
While I'm glad to see the case tossed out and the procedural faux pas may well tell us something about David Gibbs' legal expertise, I would expect that the Creationist lecturer who now works at Liberty University and his shyster will file an appeal. I think it is very likely to be denied — but dammit Jim, I'm a Mad Mycologist, not a lawyer.
Hyphal tip to Tim Sandefur at The Panda's Thumb.
By the way, if you're new to this blog and want to get caught up on this issue, it's easiest to click on the WHOI tag at the bottom of this entry. Previous updates on this subject include a number of items pertinent to Abraham's charge against Woods Hole. This includes a statement of faith that Abraham was required to sign before commencing employment at his current post.
