It’s always a little suspicious when such a public figure resigns for no reason. Let the speculation begin.
Inside Higher Ed reports:
Ohio State President Mysteriously ResignsAnother Big Ten president is on the way out.Ohio State University president Kristina Johnson announced Monday that she is resigning at the end of the academic year. The news broke Monday night with initial reports that Johnson, who has been at Ohio State for a little over two years, was stepping down in the aftermath of an investigation into concerns raised by her staff. Johnson has since pushed back on those claims.In a brief interview with Inside Higher Ed, Johnson offered no insights into the reason for her sudden resignation and denied that she was ever the subject of any inquiry at Ohio State.Speaking anonymously, an Ohio State trustee said Johnson herself made the decision to leave. Asked if any type of investigation had been opened regarding the president, he said, “Absolutely not.”Johnson’s departure marks the seventh exit this year among the leaders of the 14 universities that comprise the Big Ten conference, though the circumstances in each case differ dramatically. The University of Michigan Board of Trustees fired its president, Dr. Mark Schlissel, in January after learning he had an affair with a subordinate. Michigan State University president Dr. Samuel Stanley Jr. was pushed out by the Board of Trustees last month, resigning over allegations that he mishandled Title IX issues, which he has denied. Longtime Purdue University president Mitch Daniels announced his retirement earlier this year, as did Eric Barron at Pennsylvania State University, who officially vacated the position this spring…Asked multiple times to specify her reason for leaving or to provide insights into her future after she officially exits Ohio State at the end of the current academic year, Johnson sidestepped the questions, emphasizing only that she had “made a very difficult decision” to step down.
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