A Superior Court judge denied Dr. Jeff Blea a stay of the California Veterinary Medical Board's interim suspension on his veterinary license on Wednesday, according to bloodhorse.com.
Blea had filed a writ of mandate with the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles requesting the stay. The filing argued that in his role as the Equine Medical Director for the California Horse Racing Board, Blea does not perform veterinary work and therefore does not require an active license. The filing also argued that the suspension of Blea's license is invalid because the judge did not use a high enough standard of evidence to support her decision, stating that her findings “are not supported by the weight of the evidence, or by any substantial evidence, or at all.”
Judge James Chalfant denied Blea's stay request after concluding that Blea did not present “evidence of irreparable harm and has not shown that it would not be against the public interest to grant a stay.”
The California Horse Racing Board has remained steadfast in its support of Blea. Executive director Scott Chaney told bloodhorse.com Wednesday: “We're disappointed by today's decision, not that it was entirely unexpected. Great deference is given to state departments when they file accusations, and the Veterinary Medical Board was given that weight. But we're obviously still hopeful that when we have a hearing on the underlying accusations that he'll be exonerated.”
Blea is facing eight causes for discipline, according to formal “accusation” documents issued in late December. Blea's veterinary license was suspended at an emergency meeting held on Christmas Eve, and that suspension was upheld by Judge Nana Chin after a hearing in late January. During that formal hearing, deputy attorney general Elaine Yan, representing the medical board, argued that the allegations against Blea are violations of the veterinary medical practice act.
Meanwhile, Blea's attorney George Wallace argued that the allegations against the veterinarian do not meet the “extraordinary standard” generally required for the suspension of a veterinary license.
Dr. Gregory Ferraro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, called the action by the Veterinary Medical Board to temporarily suspend Blea's license an “unwarranted and unfair vendetta” that is “ill-advised and slanderous.” Ferraro said Blea has become a “pawn in a politically driven effort” to hurt horse racing in California. As a result of Blea having to be put on administrative leave from his post with the CHRB, Ferraro added, “the health and safety of racehorses are being compromised.”
Blea was placed on administrative leave by UC Davis, which appoints the Equine Medical Director for the CHRB, in mid-January. Drs. Heather Knych and Ashley Hill have been named acting equine medical directors and have been performing the statutory functions of the Equine Medical Director.
Blea was also removed from his role overseeing the investigation into the death of Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit, who dropped dead in December after completing a workout at Santa Anita. The equine medical director is not responsible for actually performing necropsies or testing biological samples on horses who die in racing or training in California or elsewhere. Those responsibilities go to veterinary pathologists and toxicologists — in California, those duties are contracted to UC-Davis, though some samples have been shipped outside California in this particular case. The equine medical director would be responsible for gathering reports and interpreting them for presentation to the board and to the public.
John Pascoe, executive associate dean of UC Davis's School of Veterinary Medicine, ultimately oversaw Medina Spirit's necropsy.
Read more at bloodhorse.com.
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