John Oller is an Endowed Professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In addition to his research on language development and speech disorders, he also propagates the dangerously misinformed idea that vaccines cause autism.

The scientific community has overwhelming concluded that vaccines do not cause autism, but Dr. Oller, who does not have a background in immunology, epidemiology or toxicology, continues to push an agenda based on false premises and conspiracy theories. In his most recent book, Autism, he even has Andrew Wakefield, the discredited physician who launched the autism vaccine scare, write the foreword. Not only has Wakefield had his medical license revoked, his original paper retracted from the publisher, and his theory widely discredited, he was found to have fraudulently presented his data with the plan of financial gain.

Oller’s ideas aren’t just his own – they are directly affiliated with the University. His uses his University website to promote his books, his theories, and links to his blog, where he adamantly makes claims that toxins in vaccines cause autism.

By promoting this dangerous idea, Oller is threatening the credibility of the University of Louisiana and its Department of Communications. Because of his position, he also threatens student education by passing off his conspiracy theories as actual research.

No credible academic institution should support a theory that has the potential to lead to widespread disease. Tell University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Department of Communications to publicly denounce Oller’s statements about vaccines and autism and to ensure that he doesn’t spread his ideas to students.