Report: ASU finds Lawrence Krauss violated policy with 2016 groping

PHOENIX — An Arizona State University professor who was accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior by multiple women over the last decade was reportedly found to have violated university policy when he allegedly groped a woman at a conference in Australia two years ago.

According to Science Magazine, an investigation by the university found that Lawrence Krauss violated the university’s sexual harassment policy after he allegedly groped an unnamed woman’s breast while they were taking a photo together at the Australian Skeptics Convention in 2016.

Krauss’ “conduct created an offensive environment for academic pursuits by the unnamed female attendee as well as other conference attendees,” the report found.

“Respondent’s conduct also violates the Code of Ethics, which requires a faculty member ‘[t]o conduct one’s public and private lives so as to avoid bringing dishonor to oneself and the university.'”

The investigation, according to the report provided to the publication, concluded on July 31. A university spokesperson referred KTAR News 92.3 FM to an earlier statement issued after Krauss was removed from his post as director of the Origins Project, a research unit at the university.

“Professor Lawrence Krauss is no longer director of Arizona State University’s Origins Project, a research unit at ASU,” the statement read.

“Krauss remains on administrative leave from the university. It is the policy of the university not to comment on ongoing personnel matters.”

One witness who saw the alleged groping told investigators that the woman “reacted with shock and physically moved away” from Krauss. Another said the woman “body check[ed]” Krauss after the alleged groping.

Investigators also spoke to two witnesses who did not see the incident but spoke with the woman soon after it occurred. They described her as “frazzled and troubled” and “shocked,” according to the report.

The woman did not report the incident to the university, but did speak with investigators in March. The report said that she did not “feel victimized, felt it was a clumsy interpersonal interaction and thought she had handled it in the moment.” She also said the incident “did not merit the man losing his career.”

Melanie Thomson, an Australian microbiologist who witnessed the incident, filed a complaint with the university in July 2017. She shared the university report, as well as a letter from ASU’s executive vice president and provost Mark Searle, with Science Magazine.

Searle said in the letter that “responsive action is being taken to prevent any further recurrence of similar conduct.”

The university concluded the probe shortly after ruling that there was insufficient evidence to find that Krauss had violated university policy, but reopened the investigation in February after BuzzFeed News reported allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior by Krauss over the last decade.

“They should have believed me the first time,” Thomson told the publication.

“It’s ridiculous the amount of effort you have to go through to stop universities from just dismissing these cases. I have been traumatized by the process and I wasn’t even a victim.”

A photograph of the alleged groping incident in question showed Krauss’ “right hand and arm coming over her right shoulder, with his hand in mid-air,” Science Magazine reported.

Krauss denied the incident to investigators and told BuzzFeed News earlier this year that he “put my hand up in front of a camera if there is a flash, as I specifically request selfies not to include flashes, so that I don’t end up with a series [of] bright spots in front of my eyes for the next half hour.”

Krauss was first placed on administrative leave in March, after the BuzzFeed report.

He was also removed from his post as director of the Origins Project, a research unit at the university, last week. Krauss said in a Twitter post that the university “decided not to renew my director appointment” when it expired in July. Neither the university nor Krauss gave a reason for his removal.

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