Journalism Professor at Northwestern, Accused of Harassment, Takes Leave of Absence

Meghan White, The Daily Northwestern

A prominent journalism professor is taking a leave of absence from Northwestern University after 10 of his former students and employees issued a public letter accusing him of harassment, inappropriate physical contact, and bullying.

Alec Klein, a professor in the Medill School of Journalism, directs the Medill Justice Project, which has won national awards for its investigations of wrongful convictions and other injustices.

The public letter, addressed to the school’s dean, Bradley J. Hamm, accuses Klein of making sexually graphic remarks at work, trying to kiss a prospective employee before hiring her, asking a female employee to come to his hotel room for drinks on a business trip, and giving unwanted neck massages to a female employee while she was trying to work.

At other times, the letter states, he was verbally abusive, repeatedly accusing students of insubordination and reprimanding them “to the point of tears” over minor or perceived offenses.

“Some of us, years later, can’t shake the hurtful and demeaning things he said to us,” the letter says. “Some of us have had to seek counseling and therapy in the aftermath of his behavior.”

Some of the writers took Klein’s courses nearly a decade ago; others worked with him as staff members and fellows of the Medill Justice Project.

“This is Medill’s #MeToo movement,” the letter states. “We are writing to tell you that Alec Klein’s time is up. His harassing behavior. His predatory behavior. His controlling, discriminatory, emotionally and verbally abusive behavior has to end.”

It went on to say that “his misconduct is now an open secret at Northwestern University to the point that many students have boycotted his class, robbing them of the opportunity to pursue investigative journalism at Medill.”

Klein, who joined the faculty in 2008, previously wrote for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal and taught journalism at Georgetown University and American University.

In a statement responding to the letter on Wednesday, Klein said, “I categorically deny the allegations and intend to take legal action.” He didn’t specify against whom.

Many of the allegations stem from the complaints of “a disgruntled former employee” whose complaint was unfounded, he said.

Klein said he set high expectations for his students, holding them accountable for “the highest levels of accuracy, fairness, and thoroughness.” He said he had received overwhelmingly positive reviews from students and no complaints of mistreatment.

By Friday he had backed away from further public comments. His lawyer, Andrew T. Miltenberg, released a statement saying that while his client denies the allegations in the letter, “he intends to respect the confidentiality and privacy of Northwestern University and its internal process. It is unfortunate that these allegations are being made in a rush to judgment, denying Mr. Klein of due process. We are confident that upon review, the allegations will be determined to have been unfounded.”

‘Whisper Network’

A spokesman for the university, Alan K. Cubbage, confirmed in a written statement that many of the accusations that surfaced this week were part of a complaint brought several years ago by a former employee.

“At that time, the university conducted a thorough investigation, and the complaint was not substantiated,” he said, adding that Northwestern would now review the allegations received this week.

“Professor Klein has requested a leave of absence from all of his positions at Northwestern until the university completes its investigation, and the university has agreed that is the appropriate action,” Cubbage said.

Weighing in on social media, students described a “whisper network” that had prompted them to avoid working with Klein.

Natalie Escobar, a senior majoring in journalism, said she had been tempted to apply to the Medill Justice Project, which she described as the “crown jewel” of the journalism program, but didn’t because older students had warned her that Klein could be abusive.

“People use the whisper network to deter younger students from doing things they might regret,” she said. “All of us who are training to be journalists like the idea of exposing corruption” out loud, in print.

But when the subject is an influential professor in their midst, she said, they also have to be mindful of another lesson they’d learned in journalism school — that there’s the possibility of being sued for libel.

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One woman who signed the letter settled a sexual-harassment complaint against Northwestern and Klein for $8,000 from the university, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Meribah Knight, who earned a master’s degree in journalism from Medill in 2009 and now works for Nashville Public Radio, said that for years after she graduated, she and her classmates were troubled by what she described as Klein’s demeaning comments and inappropriate behavior.

“We felt the letter would be the best way to raise our voices and make them heard,” she said, “and to say things that maybe by themselves wouldn’t rise to that level but together were very damning.”

On Saturday, 15 tenured faculty members at Medill wrote to students at the school to let them know that the allegations about Klein’s behavior “shook many of us to the core.”

They praised the women for speaking out and said they supported the investigation the administration had announced. They also promised to do their part to make sure students know they are respected.

“In conversation with you, other alumni, current students, and our colleagues, we promise to search for ways to help provide a safer, healthier environment free of any form of predation or bullying,” they wrote.

Katherine Mangan writes about community colleges, completion efforts, and job training, as well as other topics in daily news. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMangan, or email her at katherine.mangan@chronicle.com.

Updated (2/12/2018, 11:45 a.m.) with word of faculty members’ letter to students.