“Until mid-2022, I worked as a tenured associate professor at a major public university. I was hired in 2017 and quickly gained national recognition for my research in people-centered historic preservation — work that focused on diversity, inclusion, and social justice. My growing reputation triggered resentment from a senior professor in my department, who began targeting me with subtle but persistent abuse.
The bullying began with microaggressions and dismissive remarks about my work, such as “you’re too focused on people,” and undermining advice like suggesting I publish more book reviews — irrelevant to tenure criteria. Though I earned tenure, this professor was on my review committee and later shared that the only criticism in my file was that I “focused too much on people.”
After our dean stepped down, this professor was appointed interim dean and used his power to undermine me further. Though I was made interim director of our program — since we were the only two tenured faculty — he imposed extra conditions on my appointment and falsely accused me of sharing confidential information, a mistake that was later admitted by another colleague. He never apologized.
As director, I made routine decisions like not renewing an adjunct whose teaching had been outdated and poorly received. The senior professor reacted explosively, falsely accusing me of changing the curriculum and undermining the program. He copied upper administration on these emails, triggering an escalation.
At a faculty meeting shortly after, I discovered he had rallied allies to attend and dominate the discussion. He shouted, made baseless accusations, and turned meetings into hostile arenas. I began dreading each one, which took a heavy toll on my physical and mental health.
At a faculty meeting shortly after, I discovered he had rallied allies to attend and dominate the discussion. He shouted, made baseless accusations, and turned meetings into hostile arenas.
When I reached out privately to colleagues for support, I learned this senior professor had a history of bullying and racist behavior, including removing a professor mid-semester for teaching on race and discouraging students from researching African American communities. Yet no one felt safe confronting him.
I sought help through every official channel — my dean, DEI office, faculty affairs, university legal counsel — and all told me they could do nothing because he was tenured. They refused to enforce the university’s own code of conduct on abuse and harassment.
Eventually, the stress began to impact my family and my health. Despite having no new job lined up, I made the incredibly difficult decision to resign in order to protect myself and my loved ones. Because my academic field is highly specialized, leaving meant giving up my entire career.
Because my academic field is specialized, leaving meant giving up my entire career.
To this day, nothing has changed. The abusive professor remains. A new program director was hired — someone with no preservation background. The institution protected a bully, while students and faculty suffered. I left to save myself, but it’s heartbreaking to know the harm continues unchecked.”