Earlier this month, former president of The Ohio State University Walter “Ted” Carter resigned because of a self-admitted “inappropriate relationship.” Despite their stated core values of creating an “ethical culture,” they continuously work against those institutional duties.
Carter, who had been in the position at Ohio State since the start of 2024, admitted to giving podcaster Kristanthe Vlachos access to public resources to support her business. The nature of the “inappropriate relationship” is still unknown.
In an era that rightly holds executives and those in power accountable, this instance feels sudden. The ambiguity and lack of clarification could lead one to believe that there is more that hasn’t been said.
Kristina Johnson, the president before Carter, resigned from Ohio State in 2023 halfway through her contract. Later on, it was revealed that Johnson resigned due to a power struggle with the Ohio State Board of Trustees.
Additionally, it was alleged by an anonymous source in an article published by the Columbus Dispatch that Johnson had also clashed with billionaire Les Wexner. Wexner, a well-documented associate of Jeffrey Epstein, claimed in a February deposition that he had been “conned” by Epstein.
Although Wexner is not an official part of the Board of Trustees, the board has his traces all over it. The president, John Zeiger, is Wexner’s longtime personal attorney. Elizabeth Kessler, another member of the board, is the daughter of longtime Wexner associate Jack Kessler.
Recently, survivors of former Ohio State physician Richard Strauss have called for Zeiger and Kessler’s resignations due to the duo’s conflicts of interest.
Wexner and Kessler co-founded the New Albany Company, which has been credited with taking New Albany from a farm town population of 400 in the 1980s to its almost 11,000 person population in 2020 (according to census data).
Maria Farmer, a visual artist, filed the first criminal complaint against Epstein in 1996. She stated that she was sexually assaulted in New Albany at Epstein’s residence on 1 Whitebarn Road.
Last month, Ohio State assistant professor Luke Perez was charged with assault on an independent journalist Michael Newman. A viral video showed Perez tackling Newman after Newman approached Perez and former OSU president Gordon E. Gee.
The incident, recorded by independent journalist D.J. Byrnes (known online as The Rooster), gained national media attention from outlets like USA TODAY and Fox News.
While users in both comment sections were divided on their opinions (one user said, “Sticking cameras in people’s faces is an assault. Well done professor,” and another said, “The professor should be arrested for assault and fired”), most questioned the nature of the incident and called out both posts’ lack of context.
Perez pleaded not guilty to his assault charges in court and was placed on administrative leave by Ohio State.
On Mar. 12, Ohio State announced Ravi Bellamkonda as the university’s 18th president. Coming a mere three days after Carter’s resignation, the secrecy, along with the lack of search for a new permanent president, casts a shadow of doubt on Bellamkonda’s selection.
Bellamkonda previously served as Ohio State’s executive vice president and provost. In an interview with WSYX ABC 6, Bellakonda said he was offered the job on Mar. 8, 12 hours before Carter resigned.
With a $14 million contract lasting until 2031, it seems that even if Bellamkonda does not serve his entire term, he will at least be in good company when it comes to wasting taxpayer dollars.
