Perspectives of Scientists Who Become Targets: Dr. Virginia Burkett
This series profiles scientists who have been threatened with legal attacks or harassed by politically and ideologically motivated groups. What these researchers experienced, how they responded, and the lessons they learned provide valuable guidance for other scientists, and will help all readers understand the issues climate scientists may encounter because of their work.
###
Dr. Virginia Burkett is a climate scientist who was targeted for speaking out about anti-science actions by political appointees in the Trump administration. Between 2017 – 2020, Dr. Burkett faced reassignment and demotion for calling out attempts to alter scientific reports within the Department of the Interior and the US Global Change Research Program. As covered in Nature, Dr. Burkett was retaliated against for blowing the whistle on these and other efforts to manipulate climate science and science programs within the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Although she has since been reinstated to a senior-level position, Dr. Burkett’s complaint urges that what happened to her be investigated and learned from to better protect other scientists from similar attacks. She issued a statement in response to her filing, which concludes with the following plea for stronger scientific integrity protections for federal scientists:
“Without question, my Whistleblower filing details the most difficult period of my fifty-year career of academic, state, and federal service. I am asking for an independent, external review of the events that are documented in my complaint and an evaluation of safeguards that have been established, if any, since I reported these events to departmental leadership. I am seeking reforms, specifically, in the structure and operation of the Department’s Executive Resources Board.
I further ask for procedural changes in the handling of harassment complaints that involve DOI political appointees. Finally, I am asking for the establishment of a department-wide policy that articulates the role of DOI political appointees in the development and communication of scientific findings, in addition to the development of supporting procedures and examples of inappropriate political interference.
My goal is to ensure that the harassment, retaliation, and injustices I endured are never experienced by another USGS scientist or public servant within the Department of Interior.”
If you are interested in helping CSLDF defend scientists facing retaliation and abuse for courageously standing up for science, please support our work.
