The revocation of her tenure was previously reported by GBH.
The university spokesperson said it was the first time in recent decades the university has revoked a professor’s tenure. The Harvard Crimson reported that no professor is known to have lost tenure since at least the 1940s.
Gino’s research has primarily examined the psychology of workplace decision making and has often focused on honesty. The author of the 2018 book, “Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and Life,” she has provided speaking and consulting services to large corporations, and her work has been featured by many media outlets, including The Boston Globe.
The allegations of research fraud surfaced in June 2023 after The Chronicle of Higher Education reported Harvard was investigating a paper that Gino coauthored.
The next day, three behavioral scientists posted on their investigative research blog, Data Colada, that data in that same paper had been manipulated to help produce desirable results. The blog post was the first in a series that focused on four papers Gino cowrote that allegedly contained fraudulent data.
After Harvard conducted an 18-month investigation into Gino’s work, a three-person committee found in March 2023 that she was responsible for “research misconduct,” according to a discrimination and defamation lawsuit Gino filed against Harvard in August 2023.
In the lawsuit, Gino alleged the university and the Data Colada authors conspired to defame her. She denied having ever falsified or fabricated data and said Harvard’s misconduct finding against her violated its own policies. She further alleged that the university’s investigation into her work was unfair and biased.
A federal judge dismissed the defamation charges against Harvard in September, according to court records, writing that Gino failed to “plausibly allege any facts” showing common intent or an agreement between Harvard and the Data Colada writers to defame Gino. The judge, however, allowed claims that Harvard violated its contract with Gino by disciplining her in ways that violated the school’s policies.
Gino created a website focused on the lawsuit in September 2023 and made her last post on March 15, 2024.
“Harvard shared their case. And while my lawyers have discouraged me from speaking out, I just need to say that I did not — ever — engage in academic fraud,“ she wrote. ”Once I have the opportunity to prove this in the court of law, with the support of experts I was denied through Harvard’s investigation process, you’ll see why their case is so weak and that these are bogus allegations.”
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.