Kassing requests FDA to meet about blood drives
Staff Report
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: News
SJSU President Don Kassing's next effort amid the recent blood donation controversy is to meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner.
Kassing plans to be in Washington D.C. in early March, so he made the request to meet with Andrew von Eschenbach considering he would be in the FDA's neighboring area, said Larry Carr, SJSU associate vice president for public affairs.
The commissioner and the FDA have yet to respond to Kassing's request.
Kassing suspended all campus blood drives Jan. 29 because he felt the FDA's policy violated San Jose State's nondiscrimination policy.
The Food and Drug Administration enforces a lifetime blood donation deferral upon all men who have had sex, at least once, with another man.
Because the FDA policy is believed to be discriminatory and inconsistent with regard to the treatment of other groups of individuals with similar risks as men who have had sex with men, Kassing stands by the school policy in placing the blood drive ban, Carr said.
The president's office issued an e-mail Feb. 21 addressed to campus faculty, staff and students, which reiterated his stance toward the FDA's policy and his recent request for a "face-to-face discussion" with the administration's commissioner.
Carr said Kassing has received support from the public, both over the phone and through e-mail, since his original decision.
While other blood banks, Carr said, such as the one at Stanford University have agreed that the FDA's policy is discriminatory, none have imposed blood drive bans.
"President Kassing is interested in doing something about it," Carr said.
Related Stories:
Feb. 18, 2008: Board slams FDA policy
Feb. 14, 2008: Campus Voices: Do you agree with SJSU's ban on blood drives?
Feb. 13, 2008: University stands alone in blood policy
Feb. 13, 2008: President fields questions from campus media
Feb. 13, 2008: Opinion: Making sense out of blood drive nonsense
Feb. 12, 2008: Controversy no longer local
Feb. 7, 2008: Plot thickens in wake of blood drive suspension
Feb. 7, 2008: Where to donate blood off campus
Feb. 7, 2008: Opinion: This Queer Life: Bad Blood
Feb. 4, 2008: President halts blood drives; policy questioned
Feb. 4, 2008: Opinion: Making a deadly situation worse
Jan. 30, 2008: Blood drives stopped
Poll: Do you agree with SJSU's blood drive ban?
Other Links:
Jan. 29 Letter from President Kassing on blood drives
Other links from the President's office
Feb. 21 Letter from President Kassing
Kassing plans to be in Washington D.C. in early March, so he made the request to meet with Andrew von Eschenbach considering he would be in the FDA's neighboring area, said Larry Carr, SJSU associate vice president for public affairs.
The commissioner and the FDA have yet to respond to Kassing's request.
Kassing suspended all campus blood drives Jan. 29 because he felt the FDA's policy violated San Jose State's nondiscrimination policy.
The Food and Drug Administration enforces a lifetime blood donation deferral upon all men who have had sex, at least once, with another man.
Because the FDA policy is believed to be discriminatory and inconsistent with regard to the treatment of other groups of individuals with similar risks as men who have had sex with men, Kassing stands by the school policy in placing the blood drive ban, Carr said.
The president's office issued an e-mail Feb. 21 addressed to campus faculty, staff and students, which reiterated his stance toward the FDA's policy and his recent request for a "face-to-face discussion" with the administration's commissioner.
Carr said Kassing has received support from the public, both over the phone and through e-mail, since his original decision.
While other blood banks, Carr said, such as the one at Stanford University have agreed that the FDA's policy is discriminatory, none have imposed blood drive bans.
"President Kassing is interested in doing something about it," Carr said.
Related Stories:
Feb. 18, 2008: Board slams FDA policy
Feb. 14, 2008: Campus Voices: Do you agree with SJSU's ban on blood drives?
Feb. 13, 2008: University stands alone in blood policy
Feb. 13, 2008: President fields questions from campus media
Feb. 13, 2008: Opinion: Making sense out of blood drive nonsense
Feb. 12, 2008: Controversy no longer local
Feb. 7, 2008: Plot thickens in wake of blood drive suspension
Feb. 7, 2008: Where to donate blood off campus
Feb. 7, 2008: Opinion: This Queer Life: Bad Blood
Feb. 4, 2008: President halts blood drives; policy questioned
Feb. 4, 2008: Opinion: Making a deadly situation worse
Jan. 30, 2008: Blood drives stopped
Poll: Do you agree with SJSU's blood drive ban?
Other Links:
Jan. 29 Letter from President Kassing on blood drives
Other links from the President's office
Feb. 21 Letter from President Kassing
Be the first to comment on this story