Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has denied allegations that it disregarded safety measures and falsified inspection records in a response to a lawsuit filed by a former employee, Justin Bradley.
In a civil lawsuit filed in early August against the University, Bradley claimed that PPPL did not perform the internal and external inspections required by law for over 14 years. He also claimed that when he raised safety concerns to his superiors, he was dismissed, sidelined, and eventually fired.
Princeton filed a response to the complaint on Sept. 16, denying that PPPL had flouted the inspection schedule. The University also denied that employees asked Bradley to sign falsified safety records for submission to the Department of Energy (DOE).
In the complaint, Bradley claimed he was terminated for raising concerns about neglected safety protocol. In one such incident, he alleged that he complained to his supervisor, Steve Raftopoulos, who escalated Bradley’s concerns but did not receive a response from top administrators.
Raftopolous declined to comment on the complaint.
In the lawsuit, Bradley alleged that he eventually filed a separate complaint with the DOE, which funds PPPL. He claimed that the DOE encouraged him to have a meeting with his superiors, which he tried to avoid due to what he described as the lab’s “history of hostility toward internal criticism.”
Per the complaint, however, Bradley scheduled a meeting at the DOE’s insistence, during which he claimed he was personally attacked and questioned.
PPPL acknowledged that Bradley had a meeting with another PPPL engineer to address his concerns. However, the laboratory maintained that Bradley was terminated in a flurry of layoffs due to budget cuts and that the individuals responsible for his firing were unaware that he had filed a complaint with DOE.
Bradley also alleged that the lack of safety oversight led to the “critical” failure of the ion source heat exchanger, which developed several pinhole leaks. Furthermore, he claimed that while engineers developed an emergency bypass, they did not address the root cause of the failure. According to the complaint, the purported lack of proper oversight poses “potentially catastrophic consequences if left unaddressed.”
The PPPL’s response acknowledged that the ion source heat exchanger failed, but it did not clarify the scope or consequences of the malfunction.
The response also alleged that Bradley’s complaint is not valid for various legal reasons, stating that his claims are “barred by laches” — in other words, he unreasonably delayed filing the complaint. Furthermore, it alleges that Bradley acted with “unclean hands,” a legal term that refers to a party acting fraudulently or in bad faith. If these defenses are proven in court, Bradley may not be entitled to receiving relief.
In 2021, Leslie Greenlee and Travis Miles filed a similar complaint against PPPL. They alleged that they were terminated after raising concerns about nuclear fusion safety in the lab and refusing to sign off on an inspection that did not occur. Three years later, the case was dismissed, and the defendants were barred from bringing their claim to another court.
In a statement to The Daily Princetonian Peter D. Valenzano, one of Bradley’s lawyers, wrote, “[A]s alleged in the Complaint — Justin Bradley was hired to protect lives by enforcing critical safety standards at a high-risk federal laboratory — and he was fired for doing exactly that.”
“After reporting thousands of uninspected pressure systems through proper channels, PPPL retaliated by suppressing his findings, falsifying records, and terminating him,” he added. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Bradley in exposing this brazen violation of the law.”
The lab’s attorney did not respond to multiple requests for comment. PPPL did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
Maya Mukherjee is a staff News writer and head Podcast editor for the ‘Prince.’ She is from New York City.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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