A Florida university has fired a professor after an investigation concluded he "demonstrated extreme negligence" in the data management of racial bias studies that could cause "unalterable" damage to the school's reputation.
In a scathing five-page termination letter penned by Florida State University's (FUS) Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, James Clark informed criminologist Eric Stewart that decades of his research "once thought to be at the forefront" of the profession were shown to contain "numerous erroneous and "false narratives."
"My specific concerns are related to the details of your behavior and the extreme negligence and incompetence that you demonstrated in the performance of your duties," Clark wrote.
"As outlined in the Notice of Intent to Terminate letter, you demonstrated extreme negligence in basic data management, resulting in an unprecedented number of articles retracted and numerous other articles now in question, with the presence of no backup of the data for the publications in question," he added.
16-Year Tenure Ends in Controversy: Long-Time Professor Forced to Leave FSU
As reported by The College Fix and corroborated by the letter, Stewart had previously refuted the evidence of FSU's misconduct inquiry committee's lengthy investigation and stated the reports "indicate that the misconduct claims were rejected by multiple panel experts."
However, Clark's termination letter to Stewart suggested the criminologist did not take "any meaningful steps" to remedy the situation in the four years since the issues came to light and did not attempt to recreate any of the studies.
"You have not pursued any remedial action, and you have even refused to cooperate with your FSU colleagues and coworkers who requested to work with you on these matters," the letter continued.
He had been at the school for 16 years at the time of his departure.
Stewart left his post in March following the lengthy investigation that began when six race-related studies he co-authored were retracted.
In one paper, Stewart, who made £190,000 per year at FSU, falsely claimed there was a correlation between a criminal's race and the public's desire to see harsher prison sentences for said criminal. However, an investigation revealed no correlation and that the sample size had been increased to yield Stewart's desired outcome.
Justin Pickett, one of the study's co-authors, previously claimed that the "identified discrepancies" in Stewart's work could not be attributed to "researcher error."
"Scientific fraud occurs all too frequently... And I believe it is the most likely explanation for the data irregularities in the five retracted articles," Pickett said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Stewart, but his email sent an automated response saying he was "currently unavailable." FSU did not immediately return requests for comment.
The termination of Stewart's employment has raised serious concerns about the quality of research and academic integrity at the university. It also underscores the importance of ensuring data accuracy and transparent research practices in academic institutions to safeguard their reputation and credibility.
Allegations of negligence and academic misconduct have tarnished Stewart's once-groundbreaking research. With the retraction of numerous articles and the absence of data backups, the validity of his findings has come under scrutiny, casting doubt on the reliability of his work and the integrity of the university's research output.
Ensuring Academic Integrity: Lessons to Learn from the Stewart Case
Such incidents not only affect the academic community but also undermine public trust in the integrity of research conducted at universities. FSU now faces the daunting task of rebuilding its reputation and restoring confidence in its research and faculty.
The case also highlights the need for universities to have robust mechanisms in place to identify and address research misconduct promptly. Academic institutions must prioritize ethics and data management, ensuring that researchers adhere to rigorous standards and protocols to maintain the integrity of their work.
Beyond the specific case of Eric Stewart, this incident serves as a wake-up call for all academic institutions to critically evaluate their research practices. A commitment to transparent and honest research will not only preserve the credibility of institutions but also promote progress and innovation in various fields of study.
As FSU moves forward, it must take this unfortunate event as an opportunity to review its research policies, enhance oversight, and foster a culture of academic integrity. By doing so, the university can prevent similar incidents in the future and continue to uphold its reputation as a respected center for learning and research.
