Harvard Professor Francesca Gino Loses Tenure

In a move that has not happened since at least the 1940s, Harvard has revoked the tenure of one of its professors: Francesca Gino.

The revocation and subsequent dismissal are the latest steps in a long-running battle between the embattled professor and her school. It’s a fight that has been running for nearly four years and has involved lawsuits, allegations of data manipulation and accusations of discrimination.

While Gino’s termination may not be the final chapter in this story, it is a significant one. Not only is it a historic move for Harvard, but it also demonstrates the school’s confidence in the allegations made against Gino.

As such, it’s worth taking a moment to understand how we arrived at this point, what this case is about, and why Harvard felt compelled to take this drastic step.

It’s a bizarre case that pits a prestigious school against one of its most renowned (and previously most beloved) professors.

The Story So Far

Gino joined the Harvard Business School in 2010. A behavioral scientist, she gained fame for her research on honesty and rule-breaking. In 2018, she published a book entitled Rebel Talent. Her book, along with her lectures and videos, made her a household name among the broader public.

Her research found that small changes and differences can have a significant impact on honesty. By 2020, she was one of the best-known names at the school and, according to recent reports, was earning a salary of over $1 million. This made her the fifth-highest-paid person at the school.

However, by 2021, cracks were already beginning to show. Other researchers had failed to replicate Gino’s studies, and at least one graduate student had raised concerns about Gino’s work.

In August 2021, researchers for the bloc Data Colada approached the school with evidence that four of Gino’s papers included falsified data. Though Data Colada reported on one paper at the time, it didn’t report on the remaining three until June 2023, after Harvard completed its 18-month investigation.

In August 2023, Gino filed a $25 million lawsuit against the school and the Data Colada researchers. She alleged defamation, breach of confidentiality and discrimination. The judge in the case dismissed Gino’s defamation allegations in September 2024. Claims regarding a potential breach of contract are ongoing.

In April 2024, another examiner found evidence of plagiarism in her published books. It is unclear if Harvard investigated these allegations or weighed them in any way.

After completing the investigation, Harvard began the process of terminating her employment, which included revoking her tenure. That step was completed earlier this month, formally separating Gino from the school.

A Major Case with a Drastic Response

Gino is not the typical professor at Harvard or any other school. For much of the 2010s and early 2020s, Gino was a beloved celebrity researcher outside the school. This was particularly true in the business world. She gave a famous TEDx talk, her book won numerous prestigious awards, and she was a highly sought-after expert in the field.

Harvard and Gino’s reputations were linked to one another. Her position as a Harvard Professor bolstered her, and the school was similarly boosted by having such a prominent figure on staff.

This made the allegations of data fraud sting all the more. Although Harvard would likely have taken the allegations seriously regardless, these were also a public relations disaster. The school knew it had to act quickly, and it did.

Harvard conducted an 18-month investigation and drafted a 1,300-page report, which the school made public. It took the allegations seriously and worked diligently and transparently to investigate the issue. Gino was simply too famous and too important to do anything less.

To be clear, I’m not saying that Harvard would have treated another professor less seriously. But in a time where schools are facing questions about their handling of research integrity issues, Harvard had everything to lose and nothing to gain by ignoring or minimizing Gino’s case.

In short, Gino’s case presented a rare trifecta for the school. It was a high-profile case that was also extremely serious. When you couple this with Gino’s continued insistence that she did nothing wrong, Harvard had to take the only path it could.

While it’s almost certain Harvard has faced similar cases, the school likely handled them internally. Gino’s case was never going to be a purely internal one. That, in turn, likely plays a significant role in why she is the first to lose her tenure in over 80 years.

Bottom Line

I haven’t discussed Gino in great detail on this site. Simply put, it’s a case of data fraud, not plagiarism. It’s outside my area of expertise.

As I hinted at in my April 2024 article, the plagiarism allegations that did surface didn’t have a significant impact on the case. The plagiarism allegations dealt with her books, not her research. They were also too minor and too late to have a substantial effect on the outcome.

This case is and remains a data fraud case. However, it will go down in history as the first time in 80 years that Harvard has revoked a professor’s tenure.

However, this decision was made because of the uniqueness of this case. It’s unique in terms of publicity, severity, and the accused’s response. It’s a rare trifecta that the school has most likely never encountered before.

Unique situations bring historic outcomes. This case is no different.