Animal Law Podcast #87: The Case of the Vanishing Comments

On this episode I will be discussing  Krasno v Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin, a crazy case involving comments made on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the University involving the invasive research conducted on primates at the University and, in particular, at the infamous Harlow Center for Biological Psychology. Joining me will be both the plaintiff in this case, Madeline Krasno, a former employee at the Center, and her lawyer, Caitlin Foley of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. They will be telling us about the extraordinary lengths the University has gone to eliminate Maddie’s comments about their animal research programs from their social media pages and why and how that implicates the First Amendment.

Maddie Krasno is a former primate lab worker turned activist. She has worked for numerous animal sanctuaries, a wildlife rehabilitation center, and advocacy groups. Maddie holds a master's degree in Humane Education through the Institute for Humane Education and Valparaiso University and bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Child Development from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Maddie was a student animal caretaker at UW-Madison’s Harlow Primate Research Laboratory from 2011-2013 during her undergraduate education. Maddie is currently a plaintiff in two free speech lawsuits related to animal testing against 1) The University of Wisconsin-Madison and 2) the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where she is represented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Caitlin Foley is a staff attorney with Animal Legal Defense Fund. As a staff attorney, Caitlin focuses on a range of civil actions including challenges to unlawful agency actions that impact wild and farmed animals, and suits that seek to hold private actors accountable for their neglect of captive animals used for entertainment. Caitlin graduated in 2010 from the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2016 from the University of Chicago Law School. While earning a law degree, Caitlin also clerked for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Prior to attending law school, Caitlin performed disaster relief work and garden-based education as an AmeriCorps volunteer for two years in New York City. Following this, Caitlin spent one year as a college counselor at a Brooklyn public school. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Caitlin enjoys reading books, running, and spending time with her daughter, husband and pit pull rescued companion Candy.

View the full episode with resources here: https://ourhenhouse.org/ALP87/ The Animal Law Podcast is released by the nonprofit organization, Our Hen House. Share your thoughts with us on social media! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ourhenhouse).