An ongoing sexual harassment scandal at Michigan State University is now creating issues at Pitt.
Charles Hadlock came to Pitt from MSU last summer as the Terrence Laughlin Chair in Finance at the Katz Graduate School of Business.
Around the same time, the Title IX coordinator at MSU signed a formal complaint against Hadlock. Two people reported being subject to unwelcome sexual contact by Hadlock, who was then business school associate dean, during an annual business gala in April 2022 attended by students and professors, according to reports in the Detroit News based on documents from the MSU investigation obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.
The investigation report, which became public in January, found Hadlock violated the school's policies on relationship violence, sexual misconduct and Title IX while “heavily intoxicated” at the Gatsby Gala, the Detroit News reported.
A Pitt spokesman said, “In light of the information that became public in January of 2023, the University’s Office of Compliance, Investigation and Ethics is reviewing this hiring process. Once this review is complete, the University will be positioned to determine the appropriate next steps.
“While we cannot share details of the review underway, we want to reiterate that the safety, security and well-being of our students and employees remains a top priority for our university. We remain committed to supporting an environment free from sexual misconduct, harassment and discrimination, and this work is led by our Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.”
At Michigan State, the controversy eventually led to the forced resignation of then-business dean Sanjay Gupta, partly because of his failure to report Hadlock’s behavior under the university's guidelines. The report said two associate deans told Gupta about the incident at the gala, although Gupta was not at the event.
MSU board of trustees voted last month to publicly release the results of an investigation into the forced resignation of Gupta.
More information about the controversy also can be found on the website of MSU’s student newspaper, The State News.
— Susan Jones
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