A tenured Baylor associate professor Dr. Trent Dougherty has issued a statement. 

He has resigned Friday after several people complained against him. 

The university’s Philosophy Department announced his resignation after an investigation into Title IX complaints.

This covers sexual and gender-based harassment, as well as interpersonal violence.

Here is the statement from Dr. Dougherty:

“I will say this and this is a fact: not one single student in my whole time at Baylor ever filed a single Title IX charge against me. Literally none ever. This was all driven by the administration.

I am not pure as the wind-driven snow, and there were times I was not careful, given today’s climate. But not a single student in my 10 years ever filed a Title IX claim against me, and I think Baylor is trying to make it sound otherwise.

This is all driven by an administration I’ve been at odds with for years. They also intimidated my department, but of course they are afraid to speak freely while under the current administration. They’ll say what they are told to say.

The Baylor administration rules with a heavy hand.

Departments basically have to say what they are told to say, whether they like it or not.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of my tenure at Baylor, it soon became clear to me that the revolving door at the highest levels of administration left this institution basically adrift with respect to leadership.

Within a few years, I could tell this was going to be a more or less perpetual situation at Baylor. And time has proven that. I’ve been a thorn in the flesh of the administration as an innovator since at least 2014 reaching a crescendo in 2016.

Unfortunately, they weaponized their notoriously problematic Title IX office against me this spring, and despite efforts to cooperate with them, they became increasingly abusive to the point where I felt I was being completely denied due process.

At that point, I felt I had no choice, but to obtain counsel, who determined it was best to threaten them with an EEOC complaint. At that point they seemed eager to settle, and I quickly received a settlement very much to my liking. I have used this as my opportunity to finally cut ties with Baylor officially, though I have nothing, but fond memories for my students and many colleagues.

My biggest beef was principally an administration that sells itself as committed to Christian principles until the rubber meets the road, and then it’s pretty “cutthroat.” After years of dealing with a revolving door of administrators, many of whom were incompetent beneficiaries of social promotion, I simply couldn’t’ take it anymore.

I am sorry to leave behind some good colleagues and students, with this institution. It just needs serious reform at the highest levels before it will ever succeed, much less be an accurate representation of Christian principles.

Fox 44 reached out to Baylor University for response and here is their statement:

Dr. Trent Dougherty has resigned his position as tenured Associate Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University. Dr. Dougherty was recently the subject of several complaints under Baylor’s Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Interpersonal Violence Policy (Title IX).

He was found “responsible” on some allegations involving more than one complainant and “not responsible” on others. The investigation revealed additional concerns under other Baylor policies. The Department of Philosophy expresses its deep appreciation for the courage of the Complainants in coming forward, for their willingness to make their complaints known, and for their patient participation in the process.
The Philosophy Department reaffirms its position that it does not tolerate behavior by members of our community that violate Baylor’s Title IX policy or engage in misconduct that violates other Baylor policies, whether directed toward our current or former students, toward our colleagues, or toward peers at other institutions. 
We also take this occasion to reaffirm our dedication to Baylor University’s mission, to integrate “academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community.” The Philosophy Department commits itself to careful examination of our community practices and to the correction of any practices that we determine are not in alignment with our mission.