Stanford Love Triangle Triggers Job Losses

Divorce can be a messy business. That’s especially so when the people involved work together.

One divorce here in Northern California has gotten particularly complicated. In fact, it has led to the resignation of the dean of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business who has been in that position since 2009. He announced that he will step down when the academic year ends. He says that he will be staying on at the prestigious university, however, as a researcher and teacher.

The issue that triggered the resignation involves a professor at the business school who was fired. That professor was married to another professor who reportedly began a relationship with the dean after the couple separated. The terminated professor has accused the university of wrongful termination due to the relationship.

According to Stanford, the professor lost his job because he “failed to return to his university employment after the university had granted him multiple leaves of absence for lucrative opportunities in Silicon Valley…beyond what is normally allowed under university policy.” The university said that the professor was always “treated fairly and equitably.”

The dean who resigned called the lawsuit by the professor a reaction to a “contentious divorce between a current and former member of our faculty.” However, he says that he feared that the lawsuit and the attention given to it “will distract all of you from the important work that you are doing and unfairly impact this stellar school’s deserved reputation.”

No divorce is easy. However, when the couple involved works together, it can be even more complicated. It’s always essential to make sure that your family law attorney knows all of the potential complications so that he or she can advise you appropriately.

Source: CNBC, “Stanford business school dean resigns amid lawsuit,” Jacob Pramuk, Sep. 14, 2015