The Consequences of Faculty Sexual Misconduct

Faculty sexual misconduct targeted at students is a widespread problem. The consequences of such incidents include direct harm to victims and may also entail a loss to science if students who encounter misconduct become discouraged from continuing their studies in their chosen field. This study links publicly available information on degree completion by institution, academic field, and gender to a database of faculty sexual misconduct incidents verified in the media or court cases. Then, a stacked event study approach is taken to document the extent to which faculty sexual misconduct decreases in-field degree completion.

BIO: Sarah Cohodes is an associate professor of public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She uses quantitative causal inference methods to evaluate education policies and programs and is known for her influential research on charter schools. Her research focuses on school choice, programs for high-achieving students, and settings that support access to high-quality education.