The Ohio University Board of Trustees moved Friday to revoke the tenure of Yusuf Kalyango, a Scripps faculty member found to have sexually harassed a student by an Office of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance investigation.
After reviewing both evidence and objections to the case against Kalyango, the Board determined that the soundness of evidence and practices warranted the removal of Kalyango as a faculty member.
“The termination and revocation of tenure by Kalyango is warranted as a result of the violations found relative to complainant one and complainant two,” David Moore, secretary to the Board, said. “The Board determines that each violation relative to complainant one and complainant two on its own, or taken together, would warrant termination and revocation of tenure.”
The Board found full compliance to have been achieved throughout the hearing and testimony processes and found the complainants’ testimonies credible.
The Board finds Kalyango violated university policies concerning sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct and equal employment and educational opportunity. The Board also noted comments on the power differential between Kalyango and the complainants.
“His lack of acknowledgment of the power dynamic is inherent in his position of authority and his delay in providing certain documentation requested during ECRC’s investigation,” Moore said.
The Board found the appropriate standard of proof that should have been applied by the committee is preponderance of evidence, the university standard for matters involving sexual harassment, Moore said.
The decision was made after the Board requested that a Faculty Senate special committee reconsider its original December 2020 recommendation for Kalyango’s tenure and privileges to be fully restored, although the body at large voted for the Board to disregard the recommendation when considering Kalyango’s status as a tenured professor.
Chair Janelle Coleman expressed gratitude to the women who initiated the harassment complaints and for the cooperation of all witnesses and others who participated in the faculty hearing. She also called Kalyango’s behavior “intolerable,” reiterating Ohio University’s commitment to addressing complaints and creating a safe and comfortable community for all.
“We will do all we can to seek justice and ensure a safe campus for all who choose to spend parts of their lives here,” Coleman said. “The healing process is not one that I envision will dim this light but, rather, intensify our efforts to ensure our community is a safe place to learn and work.”
