Harvard University Wins Tenure Dispute Against Former Professor
A federal judge this week ruled in Harvard University’s favor in a high-profile tenure dispute involving a former Harvard Business School professor.
Francesca Gino, whose research focused on ethics and productivity, was accused of data fabrication and research misconduct in 2021 by behavioral scientists behind the blog Data Colada.
Following a years-long investigation, Harvard formally revoked her tenure in May 2025.
Gino sued the university, alleging discrimination and breach of contract. Harvard then countersued, accusing Gino of defaming the university and sending investigators a falsified dataset.
U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun granted Harvard summary judgment on several of Gino’s claims, including breach of contract and sex-based discrimination.
In his decision, Joun wrote that “no reasonable jury could conclude on the identified evidence that Harvard revoked tenure dishonestly or without a reasonable basis, prematurely removed Gino from her appointment, or materially violated a contractual procedure.”
On Wednesday, Gino did not immediately respond to questions about her next steps or if she plans to appeal.
In September, Gino gave GBH her first major media interview since losing her job.