In the early months of 2021, Boston College sought assistance from an outside law firm. Recently, a slew of sexual misconduct allegations had surfaced online, naming one of the university's theology professors as a sexual assailant. The incident, according to the accuser, occurred in 1987, when all parties concerned were graduate students (and friends).

The theology professor has denied these allegations. Boston College, however, has taken some action in response to these news stories: The theology professor is on interim leave while the external firm learns more about the alleged incident. In addition, Boston College released a statement noting concern about the accusations, as well as its commitment to learning the truth about the ‘allegations raised in social media posts.' The 2021 allegations, which started to circulate via two short videos posted on YouTube, were the first that the college had heard of the decades-old incident.

No Amount of Time Makes You Safe from Long-Buried Sexual Misconduct

Clearly, many years passed between the inciting incident and the accuser's decision to come forward. In that time, the theology professor was able to build a name for himself. He got a job at a great school. He enjoyed a trusted reputation at the school: Boston College noted that it had not “received any complaint of sexual misconduct” against the professor during his ten-year tenure.

However, after these allegations, the professor might find that all of his hard work was for nothing. He stepped down, voluntarily, for a time during the initial investigations. If the investigations lead to further damning evidence, the professor could lose his job. Even if they don't, this process has tarnished his otherwise-clean name—which could lead to further action from Boston College. In the future, the professor could have a very difficult time finding another job. Regardless of their truth, these allegations will follow the professor wherever he goes for the rest of his professional career.

That's a steep consequence for college misconduct. However, it's the reality of what can happen if you don't deal with allegations as early as possible. If you're dealing with the aftermath of misconduct now, you need to manage it as comprehensively as possible.

Hire a Student Defense Lawyer Today to Secure Your Future

This story clearly illustrates the danger of assuming you're safe from sexual misconduct allegations, no matter how much time may have gone by. Decades after the initial incident, people can still come forward to lay damning allegations against you. Even if those allegations don't lead to official charges or severe sanctions, they can go a long way to tear down a reputation that you've spent years carefully building.

Don't let this happen to your future self. Now's the time to take action to keep your name clear. Dealing with your school's processes for misconduct management can be tricky, confusing, and overwhelming—we get it. That's where we come in.

Attorney Joseph D. Lento has years of experience defending students and professors across the nation from allegations of misconduct. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 to learn more about how we can help you!