Franklin College president fired after Wisconsin arrest on suspicion of child enticement

Franklin College fired President Thomas J. Minar over the weekend following his arrest in Wisconsin on suspicion of sex crimes.

According to a statement from school officials, Minar was arrested in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, on preliminary charges of use of a computer to facilitate a sex crime, child enticement and exposing a child to harmful materials/narrations. He has since been released on bond.

Minar was arrested Jan. 6 and appeared in court the following day, according to Door County District Attorney Colleen Nordin. A criminal complaint and formal charges have not yet been filed, Nordin said. A police report was not immediately available.

Court docs: Ex-Franklin College president arranged to meet person who said he was 15

The college was made aware of the "deeply disturbing incident" in an email from the Sturgeon Bay Police Department and the Board of Trustees "acted immediately," according to school officials.

“The safety of our campus community – especially our students – is always our first priority," said Jim Due, chair of the board. "We are deeply shocked and gravely concerned by the reported behavior of Dr. Minar that led to his arrest in Wisconsin, and we will continue to cooperate fully with authorities."

Officials said the college has launched an investigation into Minar's conduct while president.

Minar, 56, had been with Franklin College since 2015. He came to Franklin from American University in Washington, D.C., where he was vice president for development and alumni relations. A Chicago-area native, Minar previously worked for 23 years at Illinois institutions.

When he was hired, Minar was touted as adept at bringing in donations, nearly doubling gifts and pledges in his first five years at American. Last year, Franklin recorded its best year of fundraising in more than a decade, bringing in gifts totaling $4.9 million.

Minar was Franklin College's first openly gay president. In a 2015 interview with IndyStar, Minar talked about the importance of diversity and inclusion in academic communities.

It was announced in June that Minar would step down from his post at the end of the 2019-20 school year. A search for his replacement was ongoing, according to college officials.

Lori Schroeder, provost and dean of the college, will serve as interim president until Franklin’s Board of Trustees Executive Committee can appoint an acting president, which should occur early this week, according to officials.

Franklin is a small liberal arts college, about 25 miles southeast of Indianapolis.

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.

Call IndyStar reporter Holly V. Hays at 317-444-6156. Follow her on Twitter: @hollyvhays.