ANN ARBOR, MI -- The University of Michigan last month determined that tenured professor David Daniels, a world-famous opera singer, sexually harassed at least one student in March 2017, according to an email obtained by The Ann Arbor News/MLive.

The university’s Office of Institutional Equity sent the email to a student on March 27, substantiating findings that Daniels violated policy when he offered to pay the student $300 for sex using the Grindr hookup phone application in March 2017.

The Ann Arbor News/MLive obtained the email from the student, a 23-year-old senior majoring in voice and economics. A UM spokesman declined comment, citing its policy not to discuss sexual misconduct investigations.

Based on police reports and interviews with the student, who The Ann Arbor News/MLive has agreed not to name, the student provided UM police screen shots of the inappropriate online chat in July, although the OIE didn’t contact him until November or complete its investigation until eight months later.

The student called the investigation a “no-brainer” that “should not take that long.”

“Professor Daniels disagrees with the findings and looks forward to the time when all of the facts of this matter are made known," said attorney Fran Stacy, who represents Daniels. “We would caution against drawing any conclusions at this time.”

Daniels has been at the center of controversy since last August when he and his husband, William Scott Walters, were accused of raping a man in Houston in 2010. He was also named in a civil lawsuit in which Daniels is accused of tricking another student into take a sleeping pill before molesting him.

Daniels remains on the UM payroll, earning a salary of more than $191,000 per year, according to online salary records, but hasn’t taught in at least seven months. In response to mounting allegations of sexual impropriety, UM placed Daniels on paid leave and ordered him to stay off campus in August.

The university first received anonymous complaints alleging Daniels propositioned two students over Grindr on March 29, 2018.

The OIE, tasked with investigating sexual misconduct claims made against professors, closed its original investigation after investigators were unable to contact any victims. Daniels, who denied the allegations, was, however, reminded of UM’s sexual harassment, dating and social media use policies.

Weeks later, the UM Board of Regents voted unanimously to grant Daniels’ tenure. Elected members of the Board of Regents have not responded to requests from the Ann Arbor News/MLive for comment.

University representatives, including the Board of Regents, have also refused to comment on the Daniels investigations, and have declined multiple public records requests submitted by The Ann Arbor News/MLive. Subsequently, it is unclear when the original investigation was officially closed, if there are any pending misconduct investigations or whether the Board of Regents was made aware of claims prior to granting Daniels tenure.

The Grindr claims re-emerged in July after the Board of Regents and other UM officials received an anonymous email alleging Daniels and Walters “drugged and raped a young singer" following a performance Daniels starred in at the Houston Grand Opera in 2010.

Mugshots from Washtenaw County Jail

While Walters and Daniels told UM police they had a sexual encounter with the the singer, later revealed to be Samuel Schultz, after providing him the prescription drug Ambien, they maintain the sex was consensual and that they stopped when Schultz appeared to be inebriated.

The UM sexual assault investigation was forwarded to Houston police. The Harris County, Texas Prosecutor’s Office in January charged Daniels and Walters each with a count of second-degree sexual assault. Daniels and Walters were arrested and later freed on bond. They’re scheduled to appear in a Houston Courtroom on June 10 for a pretrial conference.

During that investigation, UM Deputy Police Chief Melissa Overton said detectives learned of five claims involving current or former students alleging they were solicited by Daniels using Grindr.

Messages between Daniels and one student indicate Daniels knew the student and realized he was being inappropriate.

At one point in the online conversation, after realizing he was communicating with a professor in the school where he attended class, the student typed, “this is not OK.”

Daniels apologized for “drunkenly” crossing the line and asked the student to keep their communication secret, especially since he was “one year from tenure.”

The student told The Ann Arbor News/MLive he didn’t report the incident but did tell a friend and his parents about it and agreed to be interviewed by UM police when detectives contacted him in July 2018.

Andrew Lipian, a graduate student, filed a civil lawsuit against Daniels and UM in federal court in October, alleging Daniels sexually assaulted him in March 2017.

Lipian’s lawsuit says he was invited to Daniels’ apartment to watch “Ru Paul’s Drag Race,” because Daniels was “lonely” and wanted to discuss Lipian’s singing career.

After serving Lipian several pours of bourbon, the lawsuit claimed Lipian told Daniels he was tired and needed sleep for a performance the next day. The lawsuit alleges Daniels handed Lipian what he said was a Tylenol PM, but was actually the sleep medication Ambien. Daniels then removed Lipian’s clothes, forced himself upon Lipian and groped and touched his genitals and face, according to the lawsuit.

Daniels called Lipian’s claims “fake and malicious" in a December counterclaim alleging an invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress. Daniels, in court filings said Lipian, a friend since 2012, “behaved in a sexually suggestive or romantic manner” toward Daniels, and “especially" Walters.

The lawsuit against Daniels, as well as Daniels’ counterclaims against Lipian, were dismissed by U.S. District Judge Arthur A. Tarnow on Thursday, Feb. 21.

“The federal claims were dismissed against my client because they were improperly brought,” said Francyne Stacey, the attorney defending Daniels in the civil lawsuit “If Mr. Lipian refiles in state court, he will face the same counterclaims.”

The portion of the lawsuit filed against UM remains in federal court and more broadly accuses the university of being “deliberately indifferent” to various allegations made against Daniels, because of his value and status as a “renowned singer.”

The university said it appropriately investigated and responded to the misconduct investigations involving Daniels.

The student Daniels propositioned, however, criticized what he calls “radio silence” from administrators since allegations came to light and feels the OIE reacted too slowly.

“I get a certain amount of discretion, contractually, legally, but the speed of it is the main thing,” he said. "If the investigation took two months, which is what I’d consider a reasonable time to investigate this, it could have been done with last semester.

"Instead he continues to be on the payroll ... "

While the university has options should it decide to fire, demote or sanction Daniels for the policy violation finding, the process is complicated by his tenure. The university declined to comment on whether it plans to seek disciplinary action.