Whistleblower who exposed Tuskegee study dies at 86

Peter Buxtun, the whistleblower who exposed the infamous Tuskegee study, has passed away at the age of 86. Buxtun’s courageous actions led to the end of a medical research scandal that allowed hundreds of Black men in rural Alabama to go untreated for syphilis.

Born in Prague in 1937, Buxtun’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, settling in Oregon. He served in the U.S. Army and joined the federal health service in 1965. It was during his time as a public health employee in San Francisco that he overheard a co-worker discussing the study.

The Tuskegee study, which began in 1932, involved federal scientists studying 400 Black men with syphilis in Alabama. Despite the availability of antibiotics in the 1940s, the men were denied treatment to observe the progression of the disease. Buxtun raised ethical concerns in 1966, but his complaints were dismissed by agency officials.

In 1972, Buxtun provided documents to an AP reporter, leading to the publication of a story that exposed the study. This revelation sparked Congressional hearings, a class-action lawsuit, and ultimately the termination of the study. President Bill Clinton formally apologized for the unethical experiment in 1997.

Buxtun’s actions were praised by Lille Tyson Head, whose father was part of the study, as well as by public health scholars and ethicists. Despite facing backlash and criticism, Buxtun remained steadfast in his pursuit of justice for the men involved in the study.

Throughout his life, Buxtun continued to advocate for personal freedoms and justice. He was known for his wit, generosity, and dedication to righting the wrongs of the past. His legacy as a whistleblower and advocate for ethical medical research will continue to inspire others to speak out against injustice.