Georgia Aquarium CEO Will Fire VP if Abuse Allegations Proven

Photo Credit: Diliff/Wikimedia Commons

The CEO of the Georgia Aquarium said he would immediately fire the aquarium’s newly-hired vice president if allegations that he abused animals at a previous job are proven true, WSB-TV said.

Mark Leven told WSB-TV that he believed the video which purports to show José Luis Barbero screaming at and striking dolphins at a Spanish aquarium was doctored by the activist group which released it. However, Leven would fire Barbero immediately once forensic analysis proved the video had not been tampered with.

“Simply put, we would never, in any away, condone or allow any mistreatment of animals to ever occur at any of our facilities,” Leven said in a statement on the Georgia Aquarium website. “We have a zero tolerance policy against such treatment and will not tolerate it.”

Barbero is not expected to arrive in the United States until March, but he and his family have already received death threats, according to Leven’s statement. Leven hopes the investigation into the video and the allegations against Barbero will be complete by March.