Harvard University has revoked the tenure of Francesca Gino, a professor at Harvard Business School, amid long-standing allegations of data fraud. Gino, recognized for her work on honesty and ethical behavior, was placed on administrative leave in June 2023 following accusations of falsifying data in her research. Harvard has not provided further details due to privacy policies regarding personnel matters. Notably, it has been reported that no professors have lost tenure at Harvard since the 1940s.
Gino, who joined Harvard in 2010 and led the Negotiations, Organizations and Markets Unit from 2018 to 2021, faced scrutiny when behavioral researchers from a blog called Data Colada examined multiple studies she had authored and presented evidence suggesting fraudulent data practices. Following an 18-month internal investigation, Gino was placed on unpaid leave and judged to have committed “research misconduct.” In response, she filed a $25 million lawsuit against both Harvard and Data Colada, claiming the investigation was improperly handled under a policy alleged to have been created specifically for her case.
While a federal judge dismissed the defamation claims in Gino’s lawsuit in September 2023, it permitted her contract breach claims to proceed, alleging that Harvard violated its own tenure policies during the disciplinary process. Gino maintains her innocence, stating on a personal website dedicated to the lawsuit that she did not engage in academic fraud and claims the allegations are baseless. She expressed a desire to vindicate herself in court with expert support she felt was denied during Harvard’s investigation.
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