University of Kentucky has terminated former lab director Scott Stanley following what officials call “a serious breach of ethics and policy violations related to misconduct and mismanagement of the institution’s former Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab (EACL),” the university announced Wednesday.
The decision concludes a year-long investigation process that began after the university discovered Stanley had reported test results for horse racing drug screenings that were never actually performed.
The Board of Trustees voted to revoke Stanley’s tenure and dismiss him from university employment during a special session on September 11.
According to university officials, the internal audit confirmed that a test commissioned by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) that Stanley reported as completed was never performed. The findings also indicated other test results may have been compromised by Stanley’s actions.
The investigation determined Stanley “exploited vulnerabilities in technology, governance and oversight,” and potentially engaged in undisclosed business relationships that constituted conflicts of interest in violation of university policies.
Stanley faced three primary charges: misrepresentation and falsification of test results with fraudulent billing; failure to implement internal controls to prevent data manipulation; and undisclosed conflicts of interest with improper hiring practices.
UK Board Chair Britt Brockman emphasized the university’s commitment to ethical standards in a statement following the decision.
“We must uphold the highest ethical standards and comply fully with university and industry regulations,” Brockman said. “Any violations of these policies are taken seriously and addressed to maintain the integrity of this work – the work of thousands of people across this institution.”
The termination process followed university Administrative Regulations, including multiple opportunities for Stanley to respond to the charges and committee reviews. Stanley waived his right to a final hearing before the Board of Trustees.
The investigation began in February 2024 when the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment first examined Stanley’s lab management after HIWU and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) raised concerns. HIWU subsequently informed the college they had evidence Stanley had falsified analyzing a sample.
Stanley was removed from his administrative role as lab director in March 2024 while the university continued its investigation.
Stanley’s legal representative issued a statement strongly rejecting the Board’s decision, calling the process “deeply flawed and fundamentally unfair.”
“Dr. Stanley categorically denies the University’s allegations and disputes the conclusions of both the UK Internal Audit and the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit Report,” the statement read. “Despite repeated requests, he was never granted access to the underlying evidence, data, or witness notes, only the reports that, he says, ‘confuse speculation with proof.'”
The statement referenced an email obtained through subpoena in Stanley’s ongoing defamation lawsuit against Dr. Cecily Wood in Fayette Circuit Court. According to Stanley’s legal team, the email showed HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus instructed the University that it “cannot possibly allow Dr. Stanley to work in any way, shape or form in the horseracing industry” before investigations were complete.
“I have devoted my career to science, integrity, and transparency,” Stanley said in the statement. “Tenure exists to protect due process, yet that principle has been disregarded. I am considering all legal remedies to ensure fairness is upheld.”
