Prof arrest

From the Kansan this morning:

A University professor was arrested and placed on involuntary leave last week.

Thomas A. Schreiber, professor of psychology, was arrested Friday after failing to appear in court for two traffic violations.

Schreiber is scheduled to have his first court appearance this afternoon, but he will be held at the Douglas County Jail until his $375 bond is paid. His next court appearance is Friday.

Greg Simpson, chairman of the psychology department, declined to comment on why Schreiber had been placed on leave or when he would come back.

However, Ernest Smith, a friend of Schreiber’s, said Schreiber told him that his office had been entirely packed up and that a secretary at the department said he would not be coming back any time soon.

Schreiber said the leave was possibly a punishment for keeping his cat, Persephone, in his office at Fraser Hall and for having a disorganized office.

Schreiber said he did not appear at court on the designated day, Aug. 22, because he mistakenly appeared on Aug. 21.

He said it was unlikely he would be able to make bond soon because of financial problems. He said he had put all of his money into his research.

Schreiber contacted The University Daily Kansan on Aug. 13 claiming to have found the treatment for several diseases including Parkinson’s and alcoholism. Schreiber said his findings had not yet been published because the University refused to help him.

After several meetings with the University’s Center for Technology Commercialization, Schreiber said he was given a waiver from the University that would require him to give the University 70 percent of the profit from his research.

Schreiber said he was also turned away from University Relations this summer.

Todd Cohen, director of University Relations, said he was familiar with Schreiber but could not discuss the details of Schreiber’s current situation.

Schreiber was scheduled to give seminars about his research today and Thursday at the Museum of Anthropology, but they have been canceled.

Katherine Leslie contributed to this article.