Nonsense!
Chairman of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), Dr Herb Elliott, has rubbished a story published by the Wall Street Journal questioning his educational credentials (résumé). In fact, the veteran doctor is considering legal action if necessary.
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal’s Matthew Futterman said he could not verify that Dr Elliott earned a master’s in Chemistry from the Columbia University and a medical degree and PH.D in biochemistry from Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.
Dr Elliott, a distinguished medical doctor who is a member of track and field’s ruling International Amateur Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) medical committee since 2000, told the Jamaica Observer that there seems to be a plot to undermine him, and by extension JADCO and Jamaica.
“I don’t know why this man is trying to sully my name, except I suppose they feel if they discredit me they can discredit JADCO,” said Dr Elliott.
He continued: “I will have a talk with the prime minister and if she feels I should resign in order to save JADCO’s name, I shall do that.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, they contacted one Jennifer Caplan, an official in the registrar’s department at Columbia University and she said there is no record of anyone with Elliott’s name attaining a master’s in chemistry or working towards a degree in the department.
“The man said I have no degree, no medical degree and no graduate degree. He claimed he called the Columbia University and they said they don’t know anything about me, which is what a lot of universities would tell you if you just call because I haven’t given them permission to give anybody anything,” Dr Elliott explained.
“Secondly, he can’t get any information in Belgium because Belgian law forbids the university to give anybody anything of any student,” he noted.
“So what he did, he went to the archives to see if he could find the thesis but he couldn’t find it, that don’t mean I didn’t have the thing. The university won’t give him anything,” Dr Elliott reiterated.
“What I have is my medical degree. My wife died three years ago and she used to keep all the papers and everything…I do not know where they are. I said to him (reporter) that next month my daughter in London is coming and she will do a search. I don’t know if the papers are in the bank, in a vault or anywhere. She has the key to the safe,” explained Dr Elliott.
Dr Elliott told the Observer he has since found his medical degree plus some other papers which you get while pursuing the Ph.D.
“I don’t know what is wrong with these people, but from the other day they have been trying to portray that Jamaica isn’t doing this and isn’t doing that. I suppose this is the only way they think they can get at Jamaica through me, since I am the chairman of JADCO,” said Dr Elliott, who was inducted into the Caribbean and Central American Athletics Confederation’s Hall Of Fame in 2003.
“I told him the facts, but he wants me to show him my degrees. I don’t feel I need to show him anything. You just don’t call me because you name Herbert Elliott and you went to this school or that school and want to see my degrees,” he argued.
“I asked him if he was giving me a job. So he was upset. So I suppose he wrote what he wrote. I took up something with someone who advises me all the time and we will decide tomorrow if I need to talk to a lawyer and how it proceeds,” said Dr Elliott, who supplied the Observer with a copy of his Universite Libre de Bruxelles certificate.