A Message About Recent Press Reports Concerning Faculty Misconduct

Dean Heather Gerken sent the message below to the Yale Law School community on April 9, 2021.

To the Members of the Community,

I write to address issues of faculty misconduct that have been recently reported in the press.

First, Yale Law School cannot comment on, or even acknowledge the existence of, faculty disciplinary cases, and it strictly maintains the confidentiality of faculty employment files.

Second, the Law School and the University thoroughly investigate complaints regarding violations of University rules and the University adjudicates them whenever it is appropriate to do so.

Finally, as I have said before, faculty misconduct has no place at Yale Law School. It violates our core commitments and undermines all the good that comes from an environment where faculty respect and support students. The Law School has a set of clearly articulated norms governing student-faculty interactions and is committed to enforcing them. These norms are in place to ensure we provide a safe environment in which all of our students can live and learn in a community of mutual respect. As Dean, I take this responsibility extraordinarily seriously. I encourage any members of our community who have been affected by misconduct to contact me or Associate Dean Ellen Cosgrove. 

Sincerely,

Heather K. Gerken