Lynchburg, Virginia Heritage High School will be the recipient of a $25,000 donation for science scholarships from food safety law firm Marler Clark. The Seattle-based law firm works nationwide on behalf of victims of foodborne illness, and represented many in the 2008-2009 outbreak of Salmonella in peanut products produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) that was headquartered in Lynchburg.
“We represented dozens of people sickened by PCA products, including families that lost family members to the outbreak,” said Marler Clark managing partner Bill Marler. “An enormous amount of sickness and loss was caused by PCA ignoring good food safety practices – which is why we need regulation with enforcement. The Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) would facilitate the identification—and if necessary, closure—of businesses that endanger public health. We also feel that it is best to invest in the next generation, and encourage them to take the fight forward. This scholarship donation is our way of doing that.”