Professor Florian Jaeger will be teaching again at the University of Rochester.
That word came early Tuesday evening in a statement from the university, which says he will be teaching one upper-level elective course and also supervising his graduate students and research lab.
Jaeger, who teaches in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences department, was at the center of a firestorm of criticism over the last several months after allegations of sexual harassment were made against him by colleagues and students.
He had been on paid administrative leave for the Spring semester.
A statement from UR says that:
“We acknowledge that there may be a negative reaction from some to Professor Jaeger’s return to teaching. As an employer as well as an institution of higher education, we must make decisions based on our policies and our principles. One of those principles is that people can learn and improve throughout their lives.
Multiple investigations determined that Professor Jaeger did not violate any laws or University policies, but aspects of his conduct a decade ago were determined to be unprofessional and inappropriate. As a result of these investigations, the University reprimanded him and took other appropriate corrective steps. The Faculty Senate recently censured him, but stopped short of calling for further action. Professor Jaeger has taken responsibility for his actions and apologized.
As a result of this incident, we recognize that some of our policies and procedures must be clarified and strengthened to match our values and the standards expected of everyone at the University. This evaluation and improvement is ongoing. We will continue to address behaviors that cause members of our community to feel uncomfortable, excluded or disrespected. These improvements to our culture are part of our commitment to ensuring that the entire University is a place where all feel respected and valued."
