Rebecca Skloot is an award-winning science writer, and a contributing editor at 
Inside Higher Ed just reported that an adjunct instructor at the University of Akron quit when he was told that he had to submit to DNA testing. "It's not enough that the university doesn't pay us a living wage, or
provide us with health insurance," the instructor said, "but now they want to sacrifice the
sanctity of our bodies. No." He was right to question their policy: The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 specifically states:It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any employee, or otherwise to discriminate against any employee with respect to the compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment of the employee, because of genetic information with respect to the employee
You can read the U of Akron's policy regarding DNA samples and what they're used for here. In a press release today, the ACLU blasted the University of Akron saying:
All of this comes at a time when the U.S. Government is focused on clarifying The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the federal law protecting the privacy of personal health information. When the law was written in 1996, genetic information wasn't included as "personal health information" (amazingly enough), and therefore wasn't explicitly protected by the law. The new legislation (available here as PDF) would fix that. Among other many other things, it proposes revising the federal law in a way that:
If you think the privacy of genetic information should be protected under HIPAA, now's your chance to say so: The proposed legislation is currently open for public comment -- just download the proposed legislation here, and follow the directions in the first column.
(Photo credit here)
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 is a federal law that directly prohibits employers from forcing employees to turn over DNA samples. Section 202(b) of the law provides very few exceptions to this, mostly for companies that conduct DNA testing as part of their job.
All of this comes at a time when the U.S. Government is focused on clarifying The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the federal law protecting the privacy of personal health information. When the law was written in 1996, genetic information wasn't included as "personal health information" (amazingly enough), and therefore wasn't explicitly protected by the law. The new legislation (available here as PDF) would fix that. Among other many other things, it proposes revising the federal law in a way that:
prohibits use of genetic information in the employment context, restricts acquisition of genetic information by employers and other entities covered by Title II and strictly limits such entities from disclosing genetic information.
If you think the privacy of genetic information should be protected under HIPAA, now's your chance to say so: The proposed legislation is currently open for public comment -- just download the proposed legislation here, and follow the directions in the first column.
(Photo credit here)
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Comments
It makes no sense that he quit, since it's illegal for them to have fired him, and he didn't force them to try to do so.
Posted by: joe | October 31, 2009 5:45 PM
joe, it makes perfect sense as they would have simply refused to renew his contract next semester, no firing required. He's adjunct faculty... he has no protection, no standing, nothing. They wouldn't have to fire him as adjunct faculty are hired on a short term contract basis so once the semester was up they would simply not renew his contract and he would have absolutely no recourse whatsoever. Better that he made his point public with this resignation than disappear quietly.
Posted by: ST | October 31, 2009 10:47 PM
these academic insitutions are one arrogant enclave, politicians and medical doctors are another. Come to think of it, there are many others.
Anyway, it would be good to know who came up with that policy. Are you sure this isn't a joke?
Posted by: jb | November 1, 2009 7:29 PM
Please take a moment to sign the petition calling on The University of Akron to rescind the provision of Rule 3359-11-22 which enables the university to collect DNA samples from prospective employees. The petition was started online by Matt Williams and is available at http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/universityofakrondna/
Posted by: Matt Williams | November 2, 2009 12:44 AM