Natoinal Whistleblower Day is July 30
Whistleblowers lost a staunch advocate recently when Peter Buxtun, the courageous individual who revealed the U.S. government’s decision to allow hundreds of Black men in rural Alabama to go untreated for syphilis in the infamous Tuskegee Study, passed away at 86 due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Public health scholars and ethicists revere Buxtun for exposing the most notorious medical research scandal in U.S. history, which led to public outrage and significant reforms. In 1932, federal scientists began studying 400 Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama, infected with syphilis. When antibiotics became available in the 1940s, federal health officials withheld the treatment, turning the study into an observation of the disease’s ravages on the human body.
Disturbed by what he learned, he raised ethical concerns and was reprimanded for standing up for his morals and attempting to stop this unethical practice. It would take four more years before he shared the information with the Associated Press, leading to Congressional hearings, class-action lawsuits, and the study’s termination.
Buxton attended the University of Oregon and served as a combat medic and psychiatric social worker in the U.S. Army before joining the federal health service in 1965. His Army training instilled in him the core values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage, which guided his actions and gave him the strength to speak out against such a gross injustice.
As a U.S. Navy veteran and whistleblower, I understand whistleblowers’ challenges. Upholding values of honor, courage, commitment, and professional ethics is crucial in pursuing truth and justice. Like Buxtun, I faced a degrading and humiliating response from officials when exposing the VA Wait Time Scandal, which caused thousands of veterans to face delays in healthcare, leading some to die. Upholding values from the U.S. Navy—honor, courage, and commitment—along with my PRSA public relations code of ethics of advocacy, honor, expertise, independence, loyalty, and fairness, I endured a two-year ordeal to bring the truth to light.
It wasn’t until the media and Congressman Miller finally verified the truth that change was prompted.
Whistleblowing is not for the faint of heart. It requires immense courage and an unwavering commitment to truth and justice. Whistleblowers often face retaliation, isolation, and significant personal and professional risks. Yet, their actions are vital to upholding ethical standards and protecting the public from harm. On this National Whistleblower Day (July 30), I commend my fellow whistleblowers who stand firm in the face of adversity. Telling the truth matters, and it is through the bravery of individuals like Buxtun and countless others that we can build a more just and ethical society.
The lessons from the Tuskegee Study and the VA Wait Time Scandal are clear: the consequences can be devastating when ethical lapses go unchecked. Whistleblowers are crucial in safeguarding public health, safety, and trust. Their actions expose injustices and prompt necessary reforms.
Paula Pedene is a U.S. Navy veteran, nationally recognized public relations strategist, and the award-winning author of “A Sacred Duty: How a Whistleblower Took on the VA and Won.”
