In June 1978, two nurses and two trainees who worked with him at the
Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) alleged that Straus had ordered them to falsify patients' records, had failed to get proper consent from patients, and had improperly administered drugs. Straus denied personal involvement in wrongdoing asserting his innocence and maintaining that he had been framed by disgruntled subordinates. Straus resigned from his posts at Boston University Medical Center Hospital (since 1996 part of
Boston Medical Center) and BUSM. In 1980, while the investigation was ongoing, the National Cancer Institute awarded Straus a three-year grant of about $910,000 to conduct research. In 1981, Vincent T. DeVita Jr., Director of the NCI testified before Congress, saying that "his agencies award last year of a $910,000 research grant to a scientist last year... (Straus) …on the ground that ...the charges …had not yet been proven. One year later, Straus filed a $33 million lawsuit against five of his former co-workers, charging they had conspired to discredit his work. Straus strongly denied that he had engaged in any wrongdoing alleging that his signature had been forged. Ruth Moran, MD, PhD, Straus’ lab chief from 1972 testified:"Having worked side by side with Dr. Straus for 8 years ...the allegations to be totally inconsistent with what I know his scientific standards to be... The (BUMC) committee refused to see me. Dr. Straus’ chief data manager (Mary Jane Rimmer, R.N.) reported to me ... that she had always been instructed by Dr. Straus to record data accurately.""Scientists Supporting the Rights of Marc J. Straus, M.D." convened 78 cancer doctors and researchers in 1981, chaired by Mendel Krim, M.D. and Ruth Moran, MD Ph.D. They petitioned
Vincent T. DeVita, Director NCI, and Arthur Hayes, Commissioner of the FDA, for a unitary
blue ribbon review with full disclosure of relevant documents. Straus settled with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1982, acknowledging "that false reports were submitted, that some ineligible patients were used in the studies, and that some patients received drug dosages that deviated from the plan of the study." Straus maintained that these false reports were submitted without his knowledge. == Books ==