Northwestern Professor Named In 'Medill's #MeToo Moment' Resigns

EVANSTON, IL — A Northwestern professor who has been an indefinite leave since he was publicly accused of sexual harassment and misconduct in an open letter has resigned, effective Friday. Alec Klein, the former director of the Medill Justice Project investigative reporting program in the university's journalism school, was described as a "predator" whose behavior had gone "unchecked for years" by a group of his former students and staffers called "Medill #MeToo".

Klein, who initially said he intended to "take legal action" in response to the claims, decided to step down after taking a leave of absence since the allegations against him were made public in February.

"Professor Klein is no longer employed by Northwestern University, and will not be present on Northwestern’s campus or attend any University events," according to a statement from a university spokesperson, which said the investigation concluded in June.

On July 10, after the university issued a statement apologizing to current and former students "for the experiences they went through," but declined to answer questions about whether the investigation was ongoing.

"The University takes seriously all complaints that are brought to its attention and investigated those allegations promptly and thoroughly, following established University procedures," the university's statement said.

A spokesman declined to say if it had entered into a settlement agreement with Klein that includes a confidentiality clause. The university has refused to describe the nature of Klein's leave and it was not immediately clear if he had continued getting paid or would receive any payment as a result of his departure.

The university's interim Associate Vice President for Equity Sarah Wake reportedly said in an email the "matter is considered closed," and Klein will not be permitted to have contact with students, staff or those involved in the investigation into his conduct, the Daily Northwestern reported.

The Medill Justice Project is a re-branded and reorganized version of the Medill Innocence Project, founded by David Protess in 1999. Klein was named director of the project in 2011 after investigation into unethical activity led to Protess' resignation.

Klein has not responded to a request for further comment through his attorney.

Related:

• Professor Takes Leave From Northwestern Due To Misconduct Claims
• 19 More Women Accuse Northwestern Professor Of Misconduct
• 15 Faculty Members Back Journalism Professor's Accusers
• Northwestern Apologizes In Statement About Journalism Professor