Professor at center of UR sexual conduct investigation responds to report

A day after a much-anticipated independent investigation cleared him of technical wrongdoing, University of Rochester Professor Florian Jaeger thanked the university for its "commitment to seeking out the truth" and, while acknowledging some past misdeeds, criticized his colleagues turned accusers for breaching other people's privacy.

Neither he nor the university said whether he was likely to return to work, and his lawyer, Steve Modica, declined to say whether he hopes or expects to do so.

Jaeger, a researcher of national renown and star of the UR Brain and Cognitive Sciences department, found himself at the center of a firestorm after being accused of sexual harassment and retaliation by more than a dozen current and former students and colleagues.

Former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, after a months-long review, determined that those accusations were exaggerated and "largely without factual basis," while at the same time pointedly declining to make "a social or moral judgment."

The complainants called White's findings "ridiculous" and are pressing ahead with a lawsuit against the university in federal court. And UR President Joel Seligman resigned before the report even became public, saying the campus needed fresh leadership in a time of crisis.

Jaeger, who has been on paid administrative leave since September, said he mostly agreed with White's conclusion that he lacked maturity and crossed the bounds of sexual propriety with some students.

He apologized, as he did at the outset of the investigation, if his "former behavior made some students uncomfortable and may have discouraged them from working with me."

At the same time, he said: "Most of my students appreciated that their lab included a social aspect and thrived in this environment, building close connections with their fellow students and me. ... What resulted was a culture that worked for many, and in fact was the reason that some students chose our program."

He glossed over some of the more explicit details of the accusations and White report, reflecting that some students were not comfortable receiving "frank feedback," or "were upset because I socialized with students (many of whom were around my age)."

He said he has matured over his last 10 years at UR and pointed to the success many of his female students have had since leaving his lab.

Jaeger criticized those who filed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint and subsequent lawsuit for violating others' privacy. That suit used pseudonyms, but White observed that many on the UR campus had been able to see through them because of the accompanying details.

"The EEOC complaint is usually a confidential document but in this case it was made public, invading the privacy of many," Jaeger wrote. "At the same time, colleagues and former students who have come to my defense have been criticized and ostracized by their peers. Whatever one feels about me, it was wrong to publish intimate details about people that these allegations are purportedly trying to protect, or to characterize my students negatively."

Jaeger did not address his future at UR, though he has continued to work with his graduate students while on leave. He said only: "In moving forward, the lab, the department, the students and the University of Rochester will need the help of the broader community. It is my hope that we all see that these environments are worth rebuilding."

In an interview Friday morning with WXXI, Seligman was asked whether Jaeger's behavior warranted termination. He responded: "A thorough and fair report found no basis for that."

On one hand, it would be difficult for Jaeger to return to a department where his actions had caused such acrimony. Most of his accusers, though, have left the school or are currently looking for jobs elsewhere.

Jessica Cantlon, one of Jaeger's key accusers, responded to his statement in a text message: "Our complaint and the university report describe the kind of person Florian Jaeger is, and we remain uncomfortable with him as a teacher of students. He is the reason for the collapse of our department and he remains one of the greatest problems our university faces."

Another accuser, Celeste Kidd, wrote: "The university has paid for three investigations into Jaeger's behavior, and all inquiries confirmed a disturbing pattern of exploitative and abusive behavior. ... The idea that no one was found at fault, for his behavior or the initial cover-up of it, including him, is a fiction that is impossible to maintain. The only investigation that matters is next, and it's the one that happens in a court of law."

Jaeger's full statement, released through Modica, is below:

"The findings of the investigation commissioned by a Special Committee of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees confirm for the third time that I did not sexually harass any students, I did not retaliate against anyone, and I did not violate the policies of the University.

This investigation, which took more than three months to complete and included interviews with 140 people and the review of 6,000 documents, found that many accusations that have been made against me are “exaggerated and misleading in many respects.”

Before I comment further, I want to apologize to my students and colleagues—both within and beyond the department—for the distress and disruption these events have caused them.

This report does not exonerate me, but neither does it give merit to many of the worst accusations made against me. Although I disagree with some aspects of the report, I agree that I could have shown more maturity when I arrived as a 31-year-old faculty member in 2007. Over time I have addressed many of these shortcomings. I never intended to cause harm to students. I deeply regret that my former behavior made some students uncomfortable and may have discouraged them from working with me.

I would ask that everyone invested in this experience read this report with careful attention to the facts and an open mind. We have all learned painful lessons in this process, and it is my hope that we can use what we have learned as we go forward.

The report states the following:

The intimate relationships noted in the complaint all were consensual; none violated University policy at that time. These women cooperated in this investigation.

According to the report, the complaint portrays the women with whom I had relationships “as victims, a characterization that based on the time we spent with them, is inaccurate to say the least.”

Most of my students appreciated that their lab included a social aspect and thrived in this environment, building close connections with their fellow students and me.

It would have been vastly easier for the University to find against me, quelling the controversy this issue has caused, than it has been for it to repeatedly test the validity of these allegations. I appreciate their commitment to seeking out the truth.

I completely support the right (if not the responsibility) of anyone who feels harassed or discriminated against to file allegations. Such allegations must be investigated thoroughly, and there needs to be clear and transparent consequences when they are verified. At the same time, all parties – those coming forward with allegations, those accused and witnesses alike – deserve the right to a fair and fact-based process, free of fear of retaliation.

Most of the complaints against me were focused on my first years in Rochester. I arrived here 10 years ago, fresh out of graduate school, with no training in how to lead a lab. Then, as now, I cared deeply about my advisees, and wanted them to be able to openly challenge and criticize my ideas without fear of repercussion. What resulted was a culture that worked for many, and in fact was the reason that some students chose our program.

It took time, however, for me to realize that the power dynamics and cultural differences posed some problems. For example, some were not comfortable speaking up or receiving frank feedback. Others were upset because I socialized with students (many of whom were around my age). In hindsight, I wish I had recognized earlier how my behavior affected some of my students and faculty colleagues.

More: UR President Joel Seligman resignation: What we know

More: Sexual harassment report mostly vindicates UR, Jaeger

More: Seligman quits, says UR's interests 'best served with new leadership'

More: Ann Olivarius, attorney representing UR students and faculty

I have learned a great deal in the last decade about how to balance professional distance with a different kind of lab. The culture of the lab has evolved over the years, as I initiated changes and people came and went, but I do not believe that the atmosphere in my lab is, or ever was, the way it was described in the complaint.

Many of my advisees have done well. Forty percent of the students and post-docs I have worked with, about half of them women, found faculty jobs in the field. Another forty percent earned well-paid positions in the data and learning sciences. I believe these are all indicators of a supportive, productive environment.

This experience has changed my life and the lives of those close to me. One of the most painful aspects for me has been to see how these events have affected my students. The EEOC complaint is usually a confidential document but in this case it was made public, invading the privacy of many. At the same time, colleagues and former students who have come to my defense have been criticized and ostracized by their peers. Whatever one feels about me, it was wrong to publish intimate details about people that these allegations are purportedly trying to protect, or to characterize my students negatively. Protecting my students has been a priority for me throughout this investigation. This, and the importance of confidentiality when the well-being and careers of so many people are at risk, is the reason I have remained silent for so long.

The events of the last two years have damaged reputations and relationships for all involved. In moving forward, the lab, the department, the students and the University of Rochester will need the help of the broader community. It is my hope that we all see that these environments are worth rebuilding."

JMURPHY7@Gannett.com