Q: Accused of harassment and leave after reporting student cheating.

A: To supplement what the prior attorney stated, the University likely has a handbook, policies and procedures that relate to due process rights you may have as a professor, and particularly if you're tenured. You've now been unpaid for 4 months. I would not delay any further in hiring an attorney.

A: What you’re experiencing is deeply upsetting, especially when you were doing your job by upholding academic integrity. Being placed on extended leave—especially unpaid—after refusing to ignore misconduct may feel like retaliation, and the timing of the harassment accusations only adds to that concern. If there has been no clear explanation or investigation into the claims, your rights may have been compromised.

The first thing you should do is gather all documentation related to the incident: your report about the cheating, your communications with the supervisor, and any records about the disciplinary leave. If you haven’t already, request a written explanation of the harassment claims and the process used to place you on leave. If university policy wasn’t followed, or if the decision was influenced by your refusal to stay silent, you may have grounds to challenge their actions.

You’ve dedicated your time to protecting academic standards, and you deserve fair treatment in return. Consider submitting a formal grievance through your institution's faculty review process, or if you're part of a union, reach out to them immediately. Keep standing for what’s right—but protect yourself while doing so. This is about more than your job; it’s about ensuring fairness in a system that’s supposed to value truth.