RADAR ALERT: Tell GW Law School to Investigate Joan Meier's Fabrications

Over the past three weeks, a notable public faceoff occurred in the Washington Post.

An editorial (1) by David Levy, Executive Director of the Children's Rights Council, commenting on a recent tragic incident in Maryland, pointed out that child custody battles can incite domestic violence by driving parents "nuts."

The following week the Post ran an opposing editorial (2) by Joan S. Meier, faculty member at George Washington University Law School. The op-ed contains numerous one-sided statements and fabrications about child abuse. She repeatedly uses the phrase "dangerous fathers" and "violent and abusive fathers," without ever mentioning the problem of "violent and abusive mothers."

According to the US Administration for Children and Families:

• Mothers are more than twice as likely as fathers to kill their children: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm06/figure4_2.htm
• Mothers are more than twice as likely as fathers to abuse their children: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm06/figure3_5.htm

Without providing any research evidence, Meier goes on to make the improbable claims that most custody disputes "arise in the context of mothers seeking to end abuse or protect their children" and "mothers have few means of protecting their children from dangerous fathers". Meier's statements represent a serious misrepresentation of a well-known government statistics, and are highly defamatory of fathers.

Meier's falsehoods violate George Washington University's research misconduct policy (3) which states:

"Research misconduct includes, without limitation, fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research or in reporting research results. All employees or individuals associated with The George Washington
University should report observed, suspected, or apparent misconduct in research to the Associate Vice President for Health Research, Compliance and Technology Transfer."

George Washington University is in a unique position to influence Congress, including the upcoming VAWA renewal. We ask you to take a few moments of your time to contact the two following individuals at George Washington University with a polite note urging GW Law School to take action about the numerous fabrications and misrepresentations by Professor Joan Meier in her April 13 editorial in the Washington Post, as well as her formal articles and law papers:

1. Frederick Lawrence, Dean of the GW Law School: Email: flawrence-at-law.gwu.edu
2. Anne Hirschfeld, Associate Vice President Office of Health and Technology Transfer:
   Email: resanh-at-gwumc.edu

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1 David Levy's original editorial: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2008040402922.html

2 Joan Meier's response: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/11/AR2008041103152.html

3 GW University Research Misconduct Policy: http://my.gwu.edu/files/policies/ResearchMisconductPolicy.pdf

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Date of RADAR Release: April 21, 2008

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R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org/.