Ohio State President Resigns Over Inappropriate Relationship

Ohio State University President Ted Carter resigned after informing the board of trustees that he had an "inappropriate relationship," a disclosure that prompted the board to accept his resignation.

“en EnglishUnited States Deutsch English Español Français Italiano العربية All languages Afrikaans azərbaycan bosanski català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch eesti EnglishUnited Kingdom EspañolEspaña EspañolLatinoamérica euskara Filipino FrançaisCanada FrançaisFrance Gaeilge galego Hrvatski Indonesia isiZulu íslenska Italiano Kiswahili latviešu lietuvių magyar Melayu Nederlands norsk o‘zbek polski PortuguêsBrasil PortuguêsPortugal română shqip Slovenčina slovenščina srpski (latinica) Suomi Svenska Tiếng Việt Türkçe Ελληνικά беларуская български кыргызча қазақ тілі македонски монгол Русский српски Українська ქართული հայերեն עברית اردو العربية فارسی አማርኛ नेपाली मराठी हिन्दी অসমীয়া বাংলা ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ગુજરાતી ଓଡ଼ିଆ தமிழ் తెలుగు ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം සිංහල ไทย ລາວ မြန်မာ ខ្មែរ 한국어 日本語 简体中文 繁體中文 繁體中文香港 Sign in Sign in”

9news

The Columbus Dispatch reported that "Ohio State University President Ted Carter has resigned after telling the board of trustees he had an inappropriate relationship."

Associated Press

USA TODAY noted Carter "resigned after telling the Board of Trustees he had an 'inappropriate relationship' with someone who was seeking public resources to support her personal business."

The Associated Press summarized that "Ohio State University president Walter 'Ted' Carter Jr., 66, resigned abruptly over the weekend after disclosing an 'inappropriate relationship' with a woman who had sought public resources for her personal business, the university said."

The New York Times similarly reported that Carter "resigned after telling trustees he had an 'inappropriate relationship' with 'someone seeking public resources' and admitting he 'made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership to support her personal business.'"

Trustees say they learned of the matter from an outside source and confronted Carter in a private session before accepting his resignation.

The university has opened an inquiry into possible misuse of public resources.

hometownstations

The Columbus Dispatch reported that trustees learned from an unnamed source and confronted Carter during a three-hour executive session on March 7, after which he disclosed the relationship and offered to resign and the board accepted.

The New York Times said trustees were alerted by a person outside the university and that it will investigate potential misuse of public resources.

The Associated Press wrote that Board Chair John Zeiger accepted the resignation in a letter dated Sunday following a private trustees’ session, and that trustees said they were "surprised and disappointed."

SFGATE referenced AP reporting that Carter resigned after an investigation into an "inappropriate relationship."

Carter’s departure comes amid scrutiny over his compensation and a short tenure at the university.

“Opens in a new window Opens an external website Opens an external website in a new window <”

hometownstations

The Columbus Dispatch reported trustees had recently praised Carter’s leadership and approved a 4.5% raise and a $398,475 bonus last year.

The Associated Press said the board had recently rewarded Carter with a merit raise of more than $50,000, a nearly $400,000 bonus and that he earned a $1.1 million annual salary.

USA TODAY noted that Carter began leading OSU in 2024 and leaves after about two years, tying the shortest presidential tenure in recent OSU history.

The New York Times added that part of the inquiry includes a business filing for Vetearnusa L.L.C., which is registered to podcaster Krisanthe Vlachos, and that the university declined to provide further details.

Local officials and university leaders reacted with surprise and emphasized continuity for the campus amid other controversies.

USA TODAY reported that Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther stressed OSU’s importance to the city and region and said the city will continue working with the university to ensure campus safety and advance projects like the new medical center.

The New York Times

USA TODAY reported that Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin expressed support for students and faculty and urged continuation of programs such as the Buckeye Bridge initiative to expand access to higher education.

USA TODAY also noted Carter’s departure comes amid other campus controversies, including calls to remove alumnus and major donor Les Wexner’s name from facilities following revelations tied to Jeffrey Epstein.

Wexner’s spokesperson declined to comment.

The Associated Press recorded trustees’ own reaction that they were 'surprised and disappointed'.

University officials say they will investigate whether public resources were misused and plan to announce a transition plan soon.

“Gordon Gee, who stepped down in 2013 after making controversial remarks about other universities”

SFGATE

The Columbus Dispatch reported the school will investigate whether public resources were misused and said the woman was reportedly from outside the university while the university would not clarify whether the relationship was romantic.

Tribune Chronicle

The Columbus Dispatch also quoted the board as saying it takes the matter seriously and will announce a transition plan soon.

The New York Times reiterated that it will investigate potential misuse of public resources.

The Associated Press summarized that the school is investigating the matter.

SFGATE referenced AP’s reporting on the investigation.