Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino has officially had her tenure revoked, marking the first time in nearly 80 years that the university has taken such a step. Known for her work on honesty and ethical decision-making, Gino had been at the center of a growing controversy involving allegations of data manipulation across multiple research studies.

Harvard confirmed the tenure revocation through a spokesperson but declined to elaborate, citing confidentiality in personnel matters. Gino, who was placed on administrative leave in 2023 following a series of allegations tied to data fraud, has not responded to media requests.

As The Harvard Crimson pointed out, this move breaks from decades of institutional precedent dating back to the 1940s, when the American Association of University Professors codified formal termination rules.

Gino joined the business school faculty in 2010 and by 2018 was leading the Negotiations, Organizations and Markets Unit. Her research has gained broad media coverage, appearing in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NBC News.

Francesca Gino.

Scrutiny intensified in 2021 when three academic bloggers at Data Colada raised red flags about inconsistencies in multiple studies she co-authored. They published what they considered evidence of data fabrication and alerted Harvard. According to a 2023 blog post, their subsequent communication with the university remained confidential.

Following an 18-month internal review, Harvard determined Gino had committed research misconduct. She was placed on unpaid leave, stripped of her professorship, and removed from all research and teaching responsibilities. These actions were later detailed in a $25 million lawsuit Gino filed against both Harvard and Data Colada, which also claimed that a unique employment policy was crafted specifically to target her.

While a federal judge tossed out Gino’s defamation claims in September, the breach-of-contract component—alleging Harvard violated its own tenure procedures—was allowed to move forward, as reported by The Crimson.

In response, Gino launched a personal site, dedicated to defending herself. In her most recent statement from March 2024, she wrote, “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.

“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,” she added.