American Diabetes Association faces backlash over conference expulsions and editorial control

The American Diabetes Association was criticized after security removed five physicians from its annual meeting for distributing a critical opinion piece, prompting calls for leadership resignations and a review of its editorial independence.

At the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting, police and security seized badges and expelled five physicians and scientists for sharing copies of a Diabetes Care editorial that sharply criticized the Trump administration's attempts to reduce federal science funding. The ADA claimed the distribution violated its policy of maintaining a strictly nonpartisan environment at events. The episode has sparked a wave of dissent among more than 200 ADA members, who are urging senior officials to step down, demanding a full apology to the evicted attendees, and calling for the reinstatement of editorial independence at the society's flagship journal.

The controversy revives memories of a 2015 legal battle in which the ADA successfully defended its journals against a defamation suit filed by São Paulo researcher Mario Saad. Critics argue that the recent security action signals a troubling willingness to suppress dissent to protect funding relationships. The organization has apologized and is awaiting a report from its audit and governance committee. Columnists Adam Marcus and Ivan Oransky reflect on the shift from the ADA's earlier reputation for defending scientific integrity to its current predicament.