SeaWorld Entertainment recently claimed that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator assigned to investigate the death of one of its killer whale trainers was biased in her review on the company. The Hollywood Reporter said that the recent development regarding the probe of the death of whale trainer Dawn Brancheau at the SeaWorld of Florida was meant to overturn an unfavorable court verdict.
An administrative judge in June 2012 had ruled that SeaWorld was accountable to Brancheau's death by violating the general duty clause of the OSHA. THR said SeaWorld opted to file for a review of the decisionl, of which is currently pending with the US Court of Appeal for the DC Circuit.
It its letter addressed to the US Labor Department's Inspector General, SeaWorld claimed that OSHA investigator Lara Padgett was influenced by improper considerations and failed to bring the appropriate objectivity in the probe over Brancheau's death due to her killer whale charge, Tillikum.
Part of the letter read, "Barely one month after being deposed," the letter continues, "she attended the Sundance Film Festival to preview Blackfish, where she is reported to have shared lodging in a private vacation home with people who participated in the making of the movie; and a little over two weeks following her issuance to SeaWorld of a Repeat Citation, Ms. Padgett was photographed in an 'air gun' pose attending the Blackfish premiere with the director and the cast and crew at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City."
"Blackfish" is a gritty documentary regarding killer whale captivity, and was conceived by the death of Brancheau. THR said the documentary had caused damage to the image of SeaWorld.
"Blackfish" associate producer and film writer Tim Zimmerman told the Orlando Sentinel that Padgett had no participation in the production of the film, and that all OSHA documents pertaining to the investigation surrounding Brancheau's death were obtained via standard agency requests.
