Is Primarily Primates takeover drama near an end?

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:

SAN ANTONIO–Almost a year of litigation over the future of
the 28-year-old Primarily Primates sanctuary may end at an April 27,
2007 hearing in San Antonio, at which the Texas Office of Attorney
General agreed two days earlier in a “Full and Final Settlement
Agreement” obtained by ANIMAL PEOPLE to “fully and completely
release, acquit, and forever discharge Primarily Primates,”
founder Wally Swett, other staff and board members, and Friends of
Animals, from “all claims” brought against them in connection with
the October 2006 seizure of the sanctuary by now retired Texas
assistant attorney general John Vinson.
Friends of Animals had agreed with the Primarily Primates
board to take over management of the sanctuary, following Swett’s
retirement.


The “Full and Final Settlement Agreement” is apparently to be
challenged by court-appointed receiver Lee Theisen-Watt. Assisted
by PETA staff, Theisen-Watt has relocated or euthanized as many as
300 of the 800 animals who were at Primarily Primates.
“It came to light that the whole thing was driven by PETA.
As we suspected, many of the allegations against Primarily Primates
were not true,” FoA president Priscilla Feral said in a written
statement. “The Attorney General decided it was in the best interest
of Primarily Primates and the animals to turn the sanctuary over to
new management,” under Feral, “and to settle the case.”
The documents Vinson filed to obtain the October 2006 seizure
order appear to incorporate large parts of two letters of allegations
sent to Vinson and Office of the Texas Attorney General investigator
Christopher Krhovjak in May 2006 by PETA counsel for research and
investigations Leona Stormont. The allegations were heavily based on
complaints by two former employees who had been dismissed for cause.
Vinson in 1994 endorsed a similar attempted hostile takeover
of Primarily Primates, also based on complaints by employees who had
been dismissed for cause.

Print Friendly

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.