Scientists ejected from diabetes conference for distributing journal reprints

In an unexpected turn of events, five prominent scientists were removed from the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) annual meeting in New Orleans on Friday. Their expulsion stemmed from their decision to distribute copies of an editorial published in the journal Diabetes Care on April 29, which sharply rebuked the Trump administration's actions against scientific research. The individuals ousted included Steven Kahn, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington and the editor-in-chief of Diabetes Care, along with former ADA president Desmond Schatz from the University of Florida, Aaron Kelly from the University of Minnesota, Justin Ryder of Northwestern University, and Irl Hirsch, also from the University of Washington. They were handing out reprints of the editorial right outside a venue where NIH director Jay Bhattacharya was scheduled to speak, although Bhattacharya ultimately canceled, and another NIH official took his place. According to Kelly, who spoke with MedPage Today— the first outlet to report on the incident—security personnel forcibly removed them from the conference. "They physically grabbed us, forced us out of the conference center, and now are telling us we can no longer attend this meeting," he stated. "Censorship is real. America needs to stand up. Scientists, stand up. Physicians, stand up." The ADA later confirmed to MedPage Today that the scientists' actions led to their removal, asserting that they had breached the organization's conference code of conduct. "These attendees were escorted out by our onsite event security because they demonstrated behavior not consistent with this code of conduct," the ADA's media team remarked in a statement. "They were respectfully given the opportunity to cease this behavior and chose not to, which is why they were escorted out." The code of conduct emphasizes that all attendees are expected to behave in a professional and respectful manner, free from any form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation. It specifically prohibits inappropriate conduct, including protests or any actions that could be deemed disorderly or disruptive.