US fermilab confronts allegations of labor misconduct as held captive Turkish scientist reveals exploitation issues
In a series of events that have shaken the scientific community, Turkish physicist Furkan Dolek found himself in the centre of a storm after facing alleged mistreatment at Fermilab, a renowned particle physics research centre in the United States.
Dolek, who completed his PhD in Switzerland and worked at CERN, the world's leading particle physics centre, has been located at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in New York state. His journey to this point began when he announced a protest walk from Chicago to Canada via New York, framing it as a documented stand against the system rather than illegal entry.
The turmoil at Fermilab dates back to 2021, with Director Nigel Lockyer's resignation and subsequent leadership churn. Amidst this, Dolek accused Virginia Tech of illegally blocking his salary before the visa freeze and reported irregularities, including employee exposure to radioactivity, unsafe conditions, and security flaws at Fermilab on LinkedIn. He also detailed his experiences, describing exploited researchers, unprotected vulnerable staff, covered-up misconduct, and retaliation against whistleblowers.
The DOE rebidded the lab's management contract due to leadership and financial failures. The new operator, Fermi Forward Discovery Group, assumed control in January, but retained much of the prior team. However, the new management was not able to immediately address the issues, with financial woes including budget hikes offset by unchecked hiring, leading to furloughs and 53 layoffs via email.
One of the most significant incidents at Fermilab was the fall of a contractor at the PIP-II site in May 2023, suffering severe injuries in a preventable incident, according to Chicago Tribune reports. This was followed by a July 2024 whistleblower report alleging sexual assault cover-ups, workplace violence, safety violations, and retaliation at Fermilab.
Dolek's J-1 research visa was revoked in March after Virginia Tech suspended his employment in April 2024, leaving him without an exit document and in illegal status. He faced harassment and was ultimately dismissed from Fermilab. Despite this, he continued his protest, sharing a video of himself operating a crane without safety training to handle a 300,000-volt feedthrough from cryogenic equipment.
The University of Chicago has taken over as the new operator of Fermilab in January 2024 to address the laboratory's leadership and financial problems. However, the issues at Fermilab extend beyond just management, with auditors criticizing procurement and fund management. The lab has faced ongoing turmoil, with Fermilab Director Lia Merminga reportedly dismissing staff concerns, urging them to "stop whining."
In a shocking turn of events, Dolek was detained by police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the Mohawk reservation near the New York-Canada border. After 141 days undocumented, he recounted multiple calls to the J-1 hotline, claiming deception about his case status. Dolek went missing for about a week before being found.
Among the allegations against Fermilab, one case involved physicist Christopher Backhouse, accused of harassing a researcher via fake social media accounts, leading to a U.K. court awarding £50,000 in damages. James Decker, a former DOE official, called the 2021 performance review "one of the most scathing I have seen."
The story of Furkan Dolek serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by researchers and the importance of speaking up against systemic issues in the scientific community. His case continues to be closely watched by advocates for researchers' rights and ethical practices in scientific institutions.
