Five scientists ejected from diabetes conference for distributing journal reprints

Five leading scientists were ousted from the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in New Orleans on Friday. Their offence: handing out copies of an editorial, published in the journal Diabetes Care on 29 April, that sharply criticises the Trump administration's ongoing attacks on scientific research.

What happened

Those removed were Steven Kahn, professor of medicine at the University of Washington and editor-in-chief of Diabetes Care, who co-authored the editorial; former ADA President Desmond Schatz of the University of Florida, Gainesville; Aaron Kelly, professor of paediatrics at the University of Minnesota; Justin Ryder of Northwestern University; and Irl Hirsch, also of the University of Washington.

The five were handing out reprints outside a room where NIH director Jay Bhattacharya had been scheduled to speak. Bhattacharya cancelled, and another NIH official spoke in his stead.

The association's position

The ADA confirmed to MedPage Today that five registered scientists had been removed from the meeting, claiming they had violated the organisation'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 media team said 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 states that “all attendees will conduct themselves in a professional and respectful manner, free from any form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation”, and that “inappropriate conduct, including but not limited to harassment; threatening or unwelcome physical or verbal actions; or disorderly or disruptive conduct such as protesting, will not be tolerated.”

Reaction

“They physically grabbed us, forced us out of the conference center, and now are telling us we can no longer attend this meeting,” Kelly told MedPage Today, which first reported the incident. “They're taking our lanyards. It really has come to this in America. Censorship is real.”

Online backlash spread rapidly on X and BlueSky and sharply increased page views for the April editorial. According to Kahn, the editorial was published with a disclaimer, added by ADA leadership, insisting the ADA had nothing to do with developing or writing the article. He has written to the ADA seeking re-admittance, since he is slated to speak and chair a session.

Some questioned how handing out reprints of an editorial published in the ADA's own journal, at the ADA's own annual conference, could be construed as a violation of that code. Based on videos posted by MedPage Today, the scientists were not disruptive or disorderly. In the editorial, the authors write that “it is no longer enough to stand idly by or work behind the scenes with lawmakers” and that “now is the time to recognize and fight to reverse the spiraling fall of the United States of America's status as the foremost nation in health care innovation.”