On March 16, 2022, Yale Daily News reported that Professor Haifan Lin 林海帆 has been suspended amid a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation that may be related to the now-defunct "China Initiative." The University has pledged to vigorously advocate on the professor’s behalf.
A March 9 letter addressed to University President Peter Salovey, and signed by nearly 100 Yale faculty members, claimed that the University suspended Haifan Lin, professor of cell biology and director of Yale’s Stem Cell Center, without apparent due process. Lin has been placed on involuntary administrative leave and “abruptly cut off” from his research group, the letter alleged, without legal charges or clear evidence of misconduct. The letter raised questions about whether Lin is under investigation by a governmental agency, emphasized a lack of known facts regarding why actions were taken against Lin and called the developments “disturbing on many levels.” The letter also places Lin’s case against the backdrop of the "China Initiative," a DOJ anti-espionage effort that critics say harms research and unfairly targets scientists of Chinese descent.
On March 31, 2022, Endpoint reported that the DOJ has ended its investigation into Yale professor and stem cell pioneer Haifan Lin. The status of his suspension, however, remains unclear.
Links and References
2022/04/08 Inside Higher Ed: Feds Drop Case Against Yale Professor; Yale Lifts Suspension
2022/04/07 Yale Daily News: Haifan Lin returns from suspension, but faculty questions remain
2022/04/01 Yale Daily News: Department of Justice drops investigation against Haifan Lin
2022/03/31 Endpoint: DoJ ‘China Initiative’ probe into stem cell pioneer Haifan Lin discontinued, lawyer says
2022/03/16 Yale Daily News: Yale School of Medicine Professor Haifan Lin investigated by Department of Justice
A March 9 letter addressed to University President Peter Salovey, and signed by nearly 100 Yale faculty members, claimed that the University suspended Haifan Lin, professor of cell biology and director of Yale’s Stem Cell Center, without apparent due process. Lin has been placed on involuntary administrative leave and “abruptly cut off” from his research group, the letter alleged, without legal charges or clear evidence of misconduct. The letter raised questions about whether Lin is under investigation by a governmental agency, emphasized a lack of known facts regarding why actions were taken against Lin and called the developments “disturbing on many levels.” The letter also places Lin’s case against the backdrop of the "China Initiative," a DOJ anti-espionage effort that critics say harms research and unfairly targets scientists of Chinese descent.
On March 31, 2022, Endpoint reported that the DOJ has ended its investigation into Yale professor and stem cell pioneer Haifan Lin. The status of his suspension, however, remains unclear.
Links and References
2022/04/08 Inside Higher Ed: Feds Drop Case Against Yale Professor; Yale Lifts Suspension
2022/04/07 Yale Daily News: Haifan Lin returns from suspension, but faculty questions remain
2022/04/01 Yale Daily News: Department of Justice drops investigation against Haifan Lin
2022/03/31 Endpoint: DoJ ‘China Initiative’ probe into stem cell pioneer Haifan Lin discontinued, lawyer says
2022/03/16 Yale Daily News: Yale School of Medicine Professor Haifan Lin investigated by Department of Justice