New details about David Sabatini’s ouster from MIT are coming to light after a leak of his former employer’s investigation into claims of abuse and misconduct.
The purported uncovering of the full report published Wednesday on a Substack described as covering Sabatini's case some 16 months after it was first conducted in August 2021, spurring Sabatini’s firing. And the new details underscore how the institute came to its conclusion.
The report, conducted by law firm Hinckley Allen, found Sabatini interfered in the institute’s investigation into claims against him, fostered a toxic culture grounded in fears of retaliation and, ultimately, his denials were not credible. Throughout the leaked report, Sabatini is found to use his stature at the university as a bludgeoning tool against dissent and uprising.
In one instance, the investigation found that Sabatini issued a veiled warning to a fellow Whitehead faculty member that did not want to host a visiting scientist and future partner of Sabatini’s in their lab. Sabatini said in response that, "when friends ask me for something, it’s not a question of if but a question of how." Similar tactics were allegedly deployed in Sabatini’s lab, where he’s accused of using fear of disappointment and retribution to mold behavior. Representatives from MIT did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. A communications consultant representative for the Whitehead Institute declined to comment on the development.
Instances like these, among others outlined in the report, ultimately led to Sabatini’s firing later in August 2021. Sabatini responded in court two months later, filing a lawsuit arguing that the allegations were false. One of the woman who accused him of coercing her to have sex with him then countersued, saying Sabatini’s lawsuit was frivolous.
Sabatini rose to prominence through his research into mTOR, a growth inhibitor tied to cancer and neurological diseases. He launched numerous companies as a scientific founder including Navitor Pharmaceuticals, Raze Therapeutics and KSQ Therapeutics.
NYU was reportedly in discussions to hire Sabatini earlier this year, but the plans fell through following protests from the student body. A spokesperson for NYU Langone Health said at the time that the medical school and Sabatini mutually agreed that he should withdraw from consideration.
Editor's note: This story was updated to include a response from a communications consultant hired by the Whitehead Institute.