University clarifies that Title IX coordinator was fired for buying porn on UF account, but Dean Jen Day Saw praised him to next employer.

As the University of Florida’s deputy Title IX coordinator, Chris Loschiavo heard complaints of gender discrimination that sometimes included allegations of sexual battery.

But it has been learned that using a university-supplied email, he also bought pornographic videos with titles that included erotic torture and rough sex, cyborg sex, threesome sex and more.

Loschiavo was fired last year with officials pegging it publicly to a conflict of interest that came to light during the Title IX hearing of UF football player Antonio Callaway.

Loschiavo was recently hired as the Title IX coordinator of Florida Polytechnic University. His UF supervisor, Jen Day Shaw, gave him an effusive recommendation.

Now, both are out of a job.

Day Shaw resigned Tuesday rather than be fired. And Loschiavo was fired from Florida Polytechnic when officials there learned of the pornography in mid-May.

“Dr. Jen Day Shaw, University of Florida Dean of Students and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, resigned today in lieu of non-renewal of her appointment,” UF Communications Director Margot Winick said in an email to The Sun. “The university decided not to renew her appointment due to a critical error in judgment when she gave misleading and incomplete information in providing a positive reference to another university for Chris Loschiavo, a former Title IX coordinator ... who reported to Day Shaw. UF immediately terminated Loschiavo’s employment in late August when it learned he used his UF work computer account to purchase pornography.”

UF now acknowledges it fired Loschiavo for buying pornography using his work email account. Day Shaw knew that when she recommended him for the Florida Polytechnic job, UF said.

Winick’s email Tuesday came shortly after The Sun requested an interview with Day Shaw, which was made shortly after The Sun received public records that included Loschiavo's emailed PayPal receipts for buying pornography on eBay.

Amy Osteryoung of the law firm Johnson & Osteryoung, which has been involved with Day Shaw in several Title IX cases, said Tuesday’s announcement is a positive move. The firm last year filed a complaint with UF alleging Day Shaw mishandled the Callaway case.

“The university will be a better place without Ms. Shaw. We consider this to be step one in what we hope will be more steps to come,” Osteryoung said. “We have no further comment although we will have in the future.”

Loschiavo was fired from UF in August following an investigation based on a complaint by Osteryoung and law partner Huntley Johnson.

The University Office of Internal Audit completed an investigation Dec. 16. Auditors concluded that Loschiavo had a conflict of interest when representing UF in the Callaway Title IX case and that he was paid for outside consulting work when he was supposed to be doing his UF job.

Loschiavo was doing consulting work for a company that had a relationship with one of the attorneys for the student who claimed Callaway had assaulted her. The attorney was a volunteer board member of an association managed by the consulting company.

The relationship between Loschiavo and the consulting group wasn’t a secret — he had obtained prior written approval from his boss, Day Shaw.

On March 17, Day Shaw sent an email to Florida Polytechnic, recommending him for the job of Title IX coordinator of the new university, which opened in 2014 in Lakeland.

“Fantastic. Incredibly knowledgeable. Amazing work ethic. Strategic. Great collaboration. My very highest endorsement!!!” Day Shaw wrote. “Hope you get him. He will be a tremendous help to you as you continue to create Florida Poly.”

Florida Polytechnic spokeswoman Maggie M. Mariucci said Loschiavo was hired April 17 and fired May 19 for failure to disclose information.

“The University became aware of issues related to pornography during his employment at UF on the afternoon of May 18. The next day, his employment was terminated for nondisclosure of information,” Mariucci wrote in an email. “We followed our hiring process which includes a level II background check and reference checks. When we became aware that Mr. Loschiavo had withheld information, he was terminated the next day.”

Records obtained by The Sun include a Jan. 11, 2015 PayPal receipt from Loschiavo’s UF email account for four pornographic CDs bought on eBay. Receipts from Jan. 27 and Jan. 31, 2015, also show pornographic purchases.

His Twitter account also showed he responded in March to a site that shows short, lewd video clips.

UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said UF did not initially cite the pornography as the reason for Loschiavo’s firing because the university was not specifically asked if porn was involved.

Winick said Day Shaw will be paid for unused vacation time with her resignation. Her annual salary was $179,275. She has worked for UF since 2010.

UF learned about the recommendation Day Shaw provided for Loschiavo a few weeks ago, Sikes said. Since then, UF officials were trying to decide what action to take.

It just happened to coincide with the day Loschiavo’s requested public records were released, Sikes said.

“They had to huddle, they had to get some things together. The timing worked out,” Sikes said. “Today was it.”