Harvard ‘professor of honesty’ stripped of tenure, fired for alleged dishonest data

Another day, another professor busted for academic misconduct.

Harvard University has taken the extraordinary step of not only firing Francesca Gino but also revoking her tenure. What could prompt such a high-profile university to take such extreme measures against a woman “celebrated for her research on honesty and ethical behavior” like Gino?

An investigation was launched into the scholar’s work in 2023 after Harvard was made aware of allegations about potential academic dishonesty after Data Colada – a blog run by behavioral scientists – raised concerns about her work. Gino was placed on unpaid administrative leave after the investigation uncovered that she had manipulated data in at least four studies to support her hypotheses.

The professor maintained her innocence and launched a $25 million lawsuit against the school, Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar, and even the Data Colada bloggers. She claimed defamation, discrimination based on gender, and invasion of privacy, saying the allegations had harmed her career irreparably.

In September 2024, a federal judge in Boston ruled that scrutiny of Gino’s work was protected by the First Amendment due to her status as a public figure, dismissing the defamation claims.

“Harvard declined to elaborate on Gino’s termination and tenure revocation, saying it’s a personnel matter. But the school noted that stripping a professor of tenure is a step it hasn’t taken in decades,” reports GBH. “And GBH News could not find any other examples of the Harvard Corporation stripping a tenured professor of their status.”

However, this is not the first time that a big name at Harvard has faced accusations about their work.

Claudine Gay, who stepped down as the university’s president in January 2024, was accused of plagiarism. In her case, the school said they did not find evidence of plagiarism, but instead claimed “inadequate citation.” Gay still enjoys her tenure.

As with most issues in the United States these days, anonymous Harvard Business professors tied this back to President Donald Trump.

“Harvard Business School professors familiar with Gino’s case said they’re reluctant to be named publicly, citing concerns about feeding a rise in anti-intellectualism and what they characterize as the Trump administration’s relentless attacks on Harvard and academic freedom,” GHB’s report read.

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to BizPac Review.

Latest posts by Sierra Marlee (see all)

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.