An investigation by Arizona State University (ASU) has found eminent astrophysicist Lawrence Krauss guilty of sexual misconduct.
The probe conducted by the university’s Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) has concluded that Krauss touched a breast of a woman while attending a convention in Melbourne, Australia, in November 2016.
During the convention, the investigation finds, a woman asked to take a selfie with Krauss, who after taking the picture grabbed her right breast with his right hand. When the woman objected to his behavior, he told her, “Don’t post that to Facebook.”
“The evidence supports the conclusion that respondent’s conduct created an offensive environment for the academic pursuits by the unnamed female attendee as well as other conference attendees,” reads the letter written by ASU to Melanie Thomson, an Australian microbiologist who is one of the witnesses to the incident.
Krauss on Friday announced on Twitter that he would no longer be leading the Origins Project created to explore humankind’s most fundamental questions about its origins, as the university has decided not to renew his directorship while university says that he has been sent on administrative leave.
— Lawrence M. Krauss (@LKrauss1) August 2, 2018
Meanwhile, the professor has denied touching the woman and making the Facebook comment.