Top White House scientist Lander bullied staffers, review finds

By AP 7 February 2022, 5:56 pm

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A White House review has found credible evidence that top scientist Dr. Eric Lander violated its “Safe and Respectful Workplace Policy,” but the administration plans to keep him on the job after giving him counseling.

An internal review last year, prompted by a workplace complaint, found evidence that Lander, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and science adviser to US President Joe Biden, bullied staffers and treated them disrespectfully. That put him at odds with Biden’s day-one directive that he expected “honesty and decency” from all who worked for his administration and would fire anyone who shows disrespect to others “on the spot.”

The White House says senior administration officials had met with Lander about his actions and management of the office. It says Lander and OSTP are required to take certain corrective actions as part of the review.

“White House leadership met with Dr. Lander to discuss the seriousness of the matter and the President’s expectation that all staff interactions be conducted with respect,” the White House says. “We take this incredibly seriously and we are taking swift action to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

Eric Lander, the incoming director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, participates in a swearing-in ceremony with US Vice President Kamala Harris in her ceremonial office, as his wife Lori Lander holds a 13-page fragment of a Pirkei Avot text from 1492 in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on June 2, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/AFP)

The White House says the review did not find “credible evidence” of gender-based discrimination and that the reassignment of the staffer who filed the original complaint was “deemed appropriate.”

On Friday, Lander issued an apology to staffers in his office, acknowledging “I have spoken to colleagues within OSTP in a disrespectful or demeaning way.”

Lander, who is Jewish, was sworn into office on a 1492 edition of Pirkei Avot from the Library of Congress’ holdings, and has spoken about Jewish values guiding his work.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.