The heat is on Oregon State University president F. King Alexander — from OSU faculty and the governor of the state — over his ties to disgraced former Louisiana State University football coach Les Miles.
Alexander served as LSU president from from 2013 to 2019, during the time female student employees in the athletic department say Miles harassed them.
As reported by Sports Illustrated, the Oregon State Faculty of Senate passed a vote of no confidence Thursday, calling for Alexander's resignation. This news comes after the university placed King on probation through June 1 because of how he handled the reports of Miles' alleged sexual harassment.
Meanwhile, The Advocate of Baton Rouge, La., citing the Corvallis Gazette-Times, reports that Oregon governor Kate Brown said Thursday that she expects Oregon State University's Board of Trustees to “take decisive action to remove" Alexander if it finds he mishandled the allegations of sexual misconduct when he was LSU president.
“In Oregon, we must hold our university presidents to the absolute highest standards for leadership and accountability,” Brown said. “Not only are they responsible for leading our academic institutions, but they also have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all students under their care.”
In a letter last week, Alexander voiced regrets for not taking stronger action against Miles, The Advocate reported. He said the LSU Board of Supervisors opted not to fire the coach due to lack of evidence. That decision came two months before he became LSU's president, said Alexander, who also faulted budget cuts and difficulties getting LSU's Title IX program up and running in 2015.
He released a statement Wednesday apologizing to survivors and launching a review of Oregon State's survivor support programs. He also plans to evaluate funding, staffing and services for existing programs and resources at the university, according to SI.
Miles was accused of kissing and touching a female LSU student, telling her he was attracted to her and suggesting that they go to a hotel or his condo, according to a secret 2013 report that was recently made public. He was banned from being alone with female students following the 2013 investigation.
