Recently, three professors in separate departments at Florida State University were accused of sexual misconduct. The allegations took place at different times, but it has become controversial because many feel that Florida State’s sanctions against the professors were not harsh enough. The investigative reports were obtained under Florida’s public records law.
Florida State University, the Human Resources’ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office is the authority responsible for responding to reports of prohibited conduct by employees. According to FSU Policy 2-2 Anti-Sexual Misconduct, when a report is filed, the following factors are considered in determining the appropriate level of discipline: the seriousness of the offense, position at the University, prior misconduct, erosion of confidence, consistency of penalty, notice regarding conduct and potential for rehabilitation. The sanctions that can be placed upon employees are oral reprimand, written reprimand, reduction in pay, demotion, suspension and dismissal. Â
The man Florida State University fired was Ross May. May is a 38-year-old associate director of FSU’s Family Institute. Allegedly, in 2019, May pressured a student to get drunk, hugged her forcefully and bet another student $50 he could have sex with her by the end of the semester. The investigation was completed in May 2020. May is now teaching classes online at the University of West Florida.
Molecular biology professor David Gilbert was suspended without pay for two weeks and later resigned. Gilbert is a 62-year-old man who acknowledged sending a sexually inappropriate email describing an erotic dream involving the student. Gilbert also allegedly kissed a student on her neck. Gilbert also told a student that he had named his sailboat “Blow me” while inviting her to travel to Japan with him. The investigation was completed in April 2020. Gilbert is now a senior investigator at the San Diego Biomedical Research Institute.
The last professor involved is John Gainsford. Gainsford is a music professor still working in the College of Music at Florida State University. Gainsford was accused of inappropriate relationships with three students and has current accusations of non-consensual sex with a student. The complainant filed a Discrimination, Harassment, and/or Retaliation Complaint Form on May 28, 2021. Gainsford responds to the accusation by saying, “That’s not how [he] remembers it.” Florida State cleared Gainsford of the allegations, claiming it was “more likely than not” that the student had agreed to Gainsford’s requests for sex. Â
The other interesting aspect of these investigations is that certain universities and colleges allow professors to have relationships with students under certain circumstances in the state of Florida. Florida State University is one of the universities that allow relationships between students and professors to occur as long as professors do not have any supervision or authority over the student. If they fulfill this requirement, they are further required to disclose the relationship to their department supervisors.
These instances have also started to gain attention on social media. On the Instagram page “tallysds,” or Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society, there is a post about these three faculty members and a demand “that those professors still employed by the university be fired expeditiously.” Â
Students on all campuses in America need to pay attention to their surroundings and make sure they are in a safe environment. People anywhere can take advantage of a bad situation, so students must stay vigilant and protect each other.
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