Elephant Sanctuary cofounder Blais leaves

From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  September 2011:
HOHENWALD,  Tenn.— Elephant Sanctuary vice president of operations Scott Blais on August 17, 2011 announced that he is leaving the organization.  Blais and Carol Buckley cofounded the Elephant Sanctuary in 1995,  with one elephant on 112 acres near Hohenwald,  Tennessee.  It now keeps 14 elephants on 2,700 acres.

Blais in September 2009 threatened to resign over  issues centering on how Buckley handled a tuberculosis outbreak that spread from an elephant to eight staff members.  The sanctuary board of directors persuaded Blais to stay,  suspended Buckley in November 2009,  and fired her in March 2010.

In September 2010 the Elephant Sanctuary announced the hiring of new chief executive  Robert Atkinson,  formerly head of wildlife issues for the Royal SPCA of Great Britain,  and scientific advisor to the Coalition for Captive Elephant Well-Being.

Buckley filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the Elephant Sanctuary three days later.