Canned creationist sues Woods Hole

Written byKerry Grens

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Doing research in an evolutionary biology lab and not believing in evolution might spell trouble for your career - at least it did for Nathaniel Abraham. The former postdoc at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is suing the institution because he says he was fired for his linkurl:creationist beliefs,;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/15273 the __Boston Globe__ linkurl:reports;http://tinyurl.com/287an3 today. According to the Globe, Abraham joined the lab of linkurl:Mark Hahn,;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/15510/ who studies sensory signaling pathways, in March of 2004. Part of Hahn's work addresses the evolution of linkurl:aryl hydrocarbon receptors.;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/21352 In October of that year, Abraham mentioned that he did not believe in evolution, and in November, 2004, Hahn wrote a letter to Abraham telling him that because Abraham would not agree to discuss evolution in co-authored publications, he was incompatible with the lab's work. Abraham's suit is asking for $500,000 in compensation for having his civil rights violated. Woods Hole said in a statement that it does not discriminate based on religion, and that terminating Abraham was "entirely lawful." Recently, linkurl:rumors surfaced;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/53950 that an astronomer at Iowa State University was denied tenure because of his belief in linkurl:intelligent design.;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/23154/

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Meet the Author

Kerry Grens
Kerry served as The Scientist’s news director until 2021. Before joining The Scientist in 2013, she was a stringer for Reuters Health, the senior health and science reporter at WHYY in Philadelphia, and the health and science reporter at New Hampshire Public Radio. Kerry got her start in journalism as a AAAS Mass Media fellow at KUNC in Colorado. She has a master’s in biological sciences from Stanford University and a biology degree from Loyola University Chicago.
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