Two Henderson State University chemistry professors have been arrested for using campus facilities for the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Arrested Friday on meth manufacturing and use of drug paraphernalia charges were Dr. Terry Bateman, 45, associate professor of chemistry; and Dr. Bradley Rowland, 40, associate professor of chemistry and director of Research Chemistry.
Both men were placed on administrative leave on Friday, October 11 after campus police launched an investigation into an incident that closed the Reynolds Science Center.
The science center had been closed three days earlier. The university described the closure in a statement:
“The Reynolds Science Center closed October 8 due to a report of an undetermined chemical odor. Remediation work by the university’s on-call environmental service company included scrubber systems to filter air and the temporary removal of some windows from Reynolds to aid ventilation. The building reopened October 29 after third party testing indicated the building meets all Environmental Protection Agency recommendations for occupancy.”
The problem was first attributed to a chemical spill reported by a faculty member. It was later determined that the spilled chemical was benzyl chloride. Benzyl chloride is a compound that can be used to make meth.
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