Former LSU President F. King Alexander faces the prospect of discipline, including potential termination, this week from his role as president of Oregon State University over how he handled allegations of sexual misconduct at LSU years earlier.
The Oregon State University Board of Trustees has announced it will meet Wednesday over the mounting allegations against Alexander. Those have built up since LSU released a report March 5 from the law firm Husch Blackwell that described a "total failure of leadership" as LSU faced complaints of sexual misconduct and dating violence, much of it during Alexander's tenure.
Former LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander wrote in a letter Monday that he regrets not taking stronger action when faced with alle…
An Oregon State meeting notice says the Board of Trustees will hold an executive session "to consider the dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent who does not request an open hearing." The board will also "review and evaluate the employment-related performance of the chief executive officer of any public body, a public officer, employee or staff member who does not request an open hearing."
OSU will also hear public comment during the meeting, and publicly discuss the Husch Blackwell report, according to the meeting notice. After the executive session, the board will announce potential action over Alexander.
"The purpose of Wednesday’s meeting is to review the findings and recommendations of the LSU report and discuss in public session with President Alexander his leadership over Title IX at LSU and subsequent information that has been shared about Title IX and handling of sexual violence and misconduct at LSU," said OSU board chair Rani Borkar in a statement.
Alexander apologized last week for LSU's failures on sexual misconduct during his time as the university's top leader, particularly in regard to allegations that former LSU football coach Les Miles had sexually harassed students at LSU. The Husch Blackwell report revealed that former LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva emailed Alexander in 2013, telling him then that Miles should be fired.
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It's not clear how Alexander responded, but Miles kept his job another three years. He was fired because the team was performing poorly.
"I now regret that we did not take stronger action earlier against Coach Miles, including suspension leading to further investigation and dismissal for violations of university policy, before I ordered him terminated in early fall 2016," Alexander wrote last week.
Miles has since "parted ways" with the University of Kansas, where he became head football coach in 2018.
Alexander's name also came up last week at a hearing at Louisiana's Capitol, when the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children discussed the fallout from the Husch Blackwell report. State Rep. Malinda White, D-Bogalusa, questioned if the legislature could compel testimony from Alexander.
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Alexander left LSU last year for Oregon State. In his recent apology letter, he noted that OSU handles Title IX and sexual misconduct "much differently" from LSU, and has more robust staffing to address those sorts of complaints.
The OSU meeting about Alexander will be from 2:30-7 p.m. Wednesday. People can stream the meeting live online.
