James Cromwell, most recently known for his role as Dr. Arthur Arden on the FX series “American Horror Story: Asylum” was arrested at a UW-Madison Board of Regents meeting, according to a press release from PETA.
According to the animal rights organization, Cromwell entered the meeting to challenge regents over experiments done on cats. The news release obtained by WMTV-TV, says campus police arrested Cromwell, 73, after he showed a picture of a cat with a large metal post protruding from its head. PETA says an organization staff member was also arrested.
Cromwell is a longtime PETA supporter. PETA has called on UW-Madison to end experiments on cats. The organization says they have received no response.
Eric Sandgren, director of the UW–Madison Research Animal Resource Center issued a statement Thursday saying:
Today's events are just another attempt by outside activists to draw attention to a cause. They have attacked and distorted this research -- which has very real benefits for people who are deaf -- from every angle imaginable. Exhaustive independent investigation by the USDA, which regulates the use of animals in research, concluded that PETA's allegations are baseless.
