The American Diabetes Association’s handling of political criticism at its flagship scientific meeting has ignited a debate over free expression in medicine, culminating in a public apology and a promised review of its actions.

Friday: Scientists removed from the conference

On Friday, five prominent diabetes researchers were ejected from the ADA’s annual meeting in New Orleans after handing out reprints of an April 29 editorial from the ADA journal Diabetes Care that sharply criticized the Trump administration’s “ongoing attacks on scientific research.”¹ Those removed included Diabetes Care editor‑in‑chief Steven Kahn, former ADA president Desmond Schatz, Aaron Kelly, Justin Ryder, and Irl Hirsch.¹

The scientists were distributing the editorial outside the conference’s opening session, which had been scheduled as a keynote by National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya before he canceled and was replaced by another NIH official.² Within minutes, police escorted the group out, confiscated their badges, and threatened arrest if they returned, actions Louisiana State Police later said were taken at the ADA’s request.²

ADA officials said the scientists violated its conference code of conduct, which bans “disorderly or disruptive conduct such as protesting,” and asserted the group was only removed after refusing to stop.¹ One scientist, Aaron Kelly, called the removal “censorship” and urged colleagues to “stand up,” in comments first reported by MedPage Today and later cited by other outlets.¹

Days of backlash and resignations

Online condemnation from researchers and clinicians spread quickly, with critics arguing that distributing a peer‑reviewed editorial from the ADA’s own journal was part of normal scientific discourse, not disruptive protest.¹ The incident reportedly led to multiple resignations from ADA committees and advisory roles as pressure mounted on the organization’s leadership.²

Wednesday: ADA CEO issues public apology

After several days of doubling down on its justification, the ADA abruptly shifted course. On Wednesday, CEO Charles Henderson released a video apologizing for the decision to forcefully remove and ban the five scientists from the meeting.² He acknowledged that what transpired “is not reflective of who I am, the values I hold, or the way I was raised,” and pledged to “bring our community back together.”²

The ADA has now promised an independent review of the incident, as the diabetes research community continues to debate how professional societies should navigate politically charged criticism while maintaining open scientific exchange.²