CSU Professor Fired for Racist Eugenics Research

Unethical use of NIH data to falsely link race and intelligence sparks international controversy.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 5:39pm

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A former Cleveland State University professor has been fired over allegations that he misused National Institutes of Health data to support his false premise that people of European ancestry are more intelligent than people of mixed races. The professor, Bryan J. Pesta, is suing for wrongful termination, claiming his free speech rights were violated, but both the original court and the appeals court have rejected his claims.

Why it matters

This case raises serious questions about how the NIH protects sensitive data and the potential for misuse of that data by researchers with unethical agendas. It also highlights the ongoing problem of racist ideologies being presented under the guise of academic research, which can then be amplified by white supremacist groups.

The details

Pesta conspired with others to mislead the federal government about his true intentions, then shared protected data with unauthorized people. The data included information from 11,000 children across the country who underwent MRIs and clinical tests and provided DNA samples from blood and saliva. Because the data did not include ethnicity, Pesta broke the rules and loaded it into a questionable DNA database to get race information.

  • Pesta was fired by Cleveland State University in January 2026.
  • Pesta sued the university for wrongful termination, but his claims were rejected by both the original court and the appeals court.

The players

Bryan J. Pesta

A former professor at Cleveland State University who was fired for unethical research using NIH data to falsely link race and intelligence.

Cleveland State University

The university that fired Pesta over his unethical research practices.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The federal agency whose sensitive data was misused by Pesta in his discredited research.

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What they’re saying

“It's sad that Cleveland is at the heart of an international controversy where white supremacists are using Cleveland research to prove something that's completely not true.”

— Quinn (Today in Ohio)

What’s next

The case has sparked calls for the NIH to strengthen its data protection policies and oversight to prevent similar misuse of sensitive information in the future.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the importance of rigorous ethical standards in academic research, particularly when dealing with sensitive data that could be misused to promote harmful ideologies. It also highlights the need for greater scrutiny and accountability in how publicly-funded research is conducted and disseminated.