LOS ANGELES — Felony charges have been filed against the University of California and a UCLA professor in the death of a staff research assistant in 2008.
On Dec. 27, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office charged professor Patrick Harran — who was in charge of training and supervising Sheharbano “Sheri” Sangji at the time of the accident — and the UC regents with three counts each of willfully violating occupational health and safety standards, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sangji, who was not wearing a lab coat, was severely burned over nearly half of her body when air-sensitive chemicals burst into flames during an experiment. She died 18 days later.
UCLA could be fined up to $1.5 million on each of the three counts. Professor Harran could face up to 4.5 years in prison if convicted.
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