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UCSC earth sciences researcher sues FBI for defamation
A UC Santa Cruz scientist has sued NASA Ames Research Center and the FBI, saying in a federal lawsuit that his career and reputation have been destroyed by what he contends are false accusations of being a "security threat" to government programs.
In a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Haiping Su is asking a federal judge to order a hearing to "clear his name" and recover damages from the federal government. Su was banished from working with his colleagues at NASA Ames' Santa Cruz research site after being targeted by an FBI-led probe that eventually prompted NASA to declare him a security threat, according to the lawsuit.
In a lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Haiping Su is asking a federal judge to order a hearing to "clear his name" and recover damages from the federal government. Su was banished from working with his colleagues at NASA Ames' Santa Cruz research site after being targeted by an FBI-led probe that eventually prompted NASA to declare him a security threat, according to the lawsuit.
Su, a Chinese national and U.S. citizen, alleges in the lawsuit that he was never told why he was deemed a security threat after a "cryptic and unwarranted joint NASA-FBI investigation." But his lawyer expressed concern he was targeted because he's a Chinese national, given the lack of any other explanation.
"It's a mystery," said James McManis, Su's lawyer. "We're going to get an answer to this, or some court is going to tell me we don't get to have an answer."
A NASA Ames spokesman said they would not comment on the lawsuit.
Su, a 47-year-old San Jose resident, had been assigned to NASA Ames' research center at UC Santa Cruz, working on an agricultural program that McManis notes had nothing to do with national security. After an investigation that included a polygraph test, Su in January 2008
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was barred from the NASA facility, although he continues to work with the same UC researchers on the project and remains a UC-affiliated scientist.
Su denies any involvement in spying and is unaware of any continuing probe into his conduct, according to his lawyer. NASA Ames honored Su in 2007 for his work with a team of researchers that aided firefighters battling the October 2006 Southern California wildfires.
Article at: http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_12710948
Haiping Su conducts research in the area of geography or landscape ecology using remote sensing tools.
http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/text.asp?pid=1604
"It's a mystery," said James McManis, Su's lawyer. "We're going to get an answer to this, or some court is going to tell me we don't get to have an answer."
A NASA Ames spokesman said they would not comment on the lawsuit.
Su, a 47-year-old San Jose resident, had been assigned to NASA Ames' research center at UC Santa Cruz, working on an agricultural program that McManis notes had nothing to do with national security. After an investigation that included a polygraph test, Su in January 2008
Advertisement
was barred from the NASA facility, although he continues to work with the same UC researchers on the project and remains a UC-affiliated scientist.
Su denies any involvement in spying and is unaware of any continuing probe into his conduct, according to his lawyer. NASA Ames honored Su in 2007 for his work with a team of researchers that aided firefighters battling the October 2006 Southern California wildfires.
Article at: http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_12710948
Haiping Su conducts research in the area of geography or landscape ecology using remote sensing tools.
http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/text.asp?pid=1604
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