UK terminates former equine testing lab director

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2025) — The University of Kentucky has terminated the employment of a tenured faculty member following a serious breach of ethics and policy violations related to misconduct and mismanagement of the institution’s former Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab (EACL), which provided drug testing for the equine industry.

With initial findings from a UK Internal Audit investigation, the university announced last September that it had begun the process to revoke Scott Stanley’s tenure as a faculty member, with the intention of terminating him as a university employee.

The termination of a tenured faculty member is rare but is permissible under Kentucky Revised Statutes for reasons of incompetence, neglect of or refusal to perform duties, or for immoral conduct.

Among the audit findings is confirmation that a test commissioned by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) – a result that Stanley reported – was never performed. The findings also indicate that some other test results may have been compromised by Stanley’s actions.

Stanley exploited vulnerabilities in technology, governance and oversight, the audit concludes. Additionally, the investigation found that Stanley potentially engaged in business and employment relationships that constitute conflicts of interests. Specifically, Stanley purposefully chose not to disclose external work, violating university rules requiring disclosure.

Because of those findings, Stanley was charged with the following violations:

1. Failure to perform duties: Misrepresentation, falsification of test results and fraudulent billing
2. Failure to perform duties and/or incompetence: Lack of internal controls (to prevent tampering and manipulation of data) and lack of oversight of EACL operations
3. Failure to perform duties and/or incompetence: Conflicts of interest/commitment and improper hiring practices

The decision made today by the Board of Trustees concludes a year-long process in accordance with the university’s Administrative Regulations, which included:

• Charges presented by the provost to Stanley and the opportunity for him to respond
• A review and recommendation by the Faculty Advisory Committee on Privilege and Tenure to the president to initiate dismissal proceedings
• The opportunity for Stanley to be heard by the Faculty Advisory Committee on Privilege and Tenure
• A report from the committee to the president confirming adequate cause for dismissal has been established
• An additional opportunity for Stanley to respond before the case was sent to the Board of Trustees
• And, prior to a final decision to dismiss Stanley from the university, the right to a hearing before the Board of Trustees. Stanley waived that right.

In lieu of the hearing before the Board of Trustees, the process concluded with a board special session on Sept. 11. Board members questioned both Stanley’s attorney and the university’s attorney on the matter and reviewed university and legal filings. They subsequently voted to revoke his tenure and dismiss him from university employment.

“At the University of Kentucky, we are committed to advancing Kentucky through research and service of the highest quality,” said UK Board Chair Britt Brockman. “We must uphold the highest ethical standards and comply fully with university and industry regulations. 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.”

Background

In February 2024, the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) first began investigating Stanley’s management of the lab. At the same time, the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) met with the college to raise concerns about the lab’s management and customer service. Soon after that meeting, HIWU informed the college that they had evidence that Stanley lied about analyzing a sample. Once university officials became aware of these concerns, the university launched a thorough investigation through its Internal Audit office, working in parallel with HIWU to uncover facts and remedy issues. 

HISA creates and implements programs around Thoroughbred racing safety. HIWU serves as the independent enforcement agency for HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program. 

In the early stages of the investigation, UK auditors, based on information systems evidence, confirmed that Stanley had not performed at least one contracted test and, in other cases, had not followed certain protocols in accordance with industry standards as established by HISA.

As such, in March 2024, Stanley was removed from his administrative role as director of the lab. Stanley’s tenured faculty position is distinct from his role as lab director and disciplinary action with respect to his employment at the university is a separate process. UK quickly named a national leader in the field as acting director of the EACL to address operational deficiencies and communicate with clients and other industry stakeholders. Since then, the EACL has been acquired by Eagle Diagnostics.

In September 2024, following a months-long investigation, UK Internal Audit published its draft report and the university announced it was initiating the tenure termination process.