A prominent Arizona State professor is now facing allegations of sexual misconduct after a scathing report from BuzzFeed News.
According to the report, Lawrence Krauss, a well known theoretical physicist and foundation professor in Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
In one account, BuzzFeed told the story of a makeup artist who set was to meet "one of her intellectual idols" [Krauss] at an event in November of 2006.
According to BuzzFeed, they made plans to have dinner at the hotel where Krauss was staying in Washington D.C., but he asked her to come to his room before while he finished working. She went.
BuzzFeed writes:
Krauss made a comment about her eye makeup, and got very close to her face. Suddenly, he lifted her by the arms and pushed her onto the bed beneath him, forcibly kissing her and trying to pull down the crotch of her tights.
Krauss has denied the allegations. According to The State Press, he even referred to the BuzzFeed report as "slanderous."
12 News reached out to ASU when the report was published Thursday.
The university said it "has received no complaints from ASU students, faculty or staff related to Lawrence Krauss."
During the reporting of their story, Buzzfeed contacted ASU and said they had anonymous complaints from current and former ASU employees of inappropriate behavior by Krauss. The office at ASU responsible for investigating such claims reached back out to Buzzfeed and asked for more details so a proper review could get underway. Buzzfeed declined to provide any more information.
In the statement, ASU said it has begun a review "in an attempt to discern the facts surrounding these claims."
That review is ongoing and the university urged anyone who may have concerns like this regarding their interaction with faculty, staff or students to report them.
The university encourages anyone in our community who has concerns about interactions with faculty, staff or students to report those concerns. The university provides multiple reporting options, including through the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, the Office of Equity and Inclusion or by calling the ASU Hotline.
