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Central State University president Jack Thomas is stepping down at the end of June amid scrutiny and allegations of discrimination and harassment, Dayton Daily News reported.
Five different women—all current or former employees—have accused Thomas of harassment and discrimination in employment decisions. Two of the accusers have filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming they were discriminated against. However, an investigation conducted by a law firm contracted by the university’s Board of Trustees found that Thomas’s behavior was “rude, belittling and bullying” but did not amount to discrimination or harassment.
Thomas, who has led the public, historically Black university in Ohio since 2020, will join the faculty ranks as a tenured professor after taking a sabbatical.
“Having accomplished what I set out to do as president, I have informed the board of trustees that I will not seek renewal of my contract,” Thomas wrote in a statement posted to Twitter, which made no mention of the controversy surrounding him in the months before he resigned.
Thomas is one of several presidents who have resigned amid controversy in recent months, including Linda Oubré at Whittier College and Katherine Bergeron at Connecticut College.
