Carter served as president of Ohio State starting in January 2024.
Ohio State University president Ted Carter resigned this weekend after admitting he had been involved in an “inappropriate relationship” with a woman who wanted to use public resources for the benefit of a personal business, The Columbus Dispatch first reported.
Carter, 66, had served as president of the state flagship for two years; his five-year contract was set to expire in 2028. Before OSU, he served as president of the University of Nebraska and superintendent at his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy.
University spokesman Ben Johnson told the Dispatch that the resignation process began when an anonymous source tipped the Board of Trustees off about Carter’s relationship. Board members then confronted him and he admitted to what the board described as an “inappropriate relationship with someone seeking state resources to support her personal business.” Johnson confirmed that the woman involved did not work at the university but declined to disclose the nature of their relationship.
Shortly after, Carter offered to step down. The governing body announced his resignation Monday.
“The Board was surprised and disappointed to learn of this matter and takes the situation and its potential impact on the university very seriously,” board chair John Zeiger said in a letter accepting Carter’s resignation. “We respect your decision and appreciate your cooperation in supporting an orderly leadership transition.”
But prior to his resignation, the board had largely praised Carter. According to the Dispatch, he received at least two raises during his short tenure. The most recent salary increase, 4.5 percent last August, brought the president’s base salary up to $1,189,733, with the possibility of a $398,475 bonus.
In a statement to the campus community, Carter said he and his wife, Lynda, are leaving Ohio State with “gratitude and appreciation for this wonderful community.”
“I believe we have made much progress during my time at Ohio State, and I’m sorry I’m not able to remain your president longer,” he wrote. “It has been an honor to serve as this university’s 17th president, and we wish the university ongoing success.”
Officials said the university will conduct an investigation into the relationship in the weeks to come and address concerns surrounding the use of taxpayer funds. They have not announced an interim president or possible contenders to succeed Carter long term.
Commenters on social media speculated that two-time former OSU president and current consultant E. Gordon Gee could be up for consideration. (Gee told The Chronicle of Higher Education by phone Monday that he wouldn’t take the job if offered.) Another name making the rounds is former OSU football coach—now Ohio lieutenant governor—Jim Tressel, who was president of Youngstown State University from 2014 to 2023.
Zeiger, the board chair, said more information about next steps will be released later this week.
This is not the first time Ohio State has experienced a rapid turnover in leadership. Before Carter, the university was led by Kristina Johnson, who also stepped down after just two years in office. The reason for her resignation remains unknown.
Faculty members expressed frustration with the revolving leadership door.
“The students, faculty, and staff of the Ohio State University deserve better,” Jennifer Tisone Price, executive director of the Ohio conference of the American Association of University Professors, said in a statement. “This is OSU’s third president since 2020. If the university wants to do better with the next one, it must have a transparent hiring process that honors shared governance which includes the input from faculty. Shared governance isn’t just a bureaucratic nicety. It’s how universities stay honest.”
Meanwhile, Ohio State leaders have other issues to address. For several weeks the university has faced significant pushback regarding Les Wexner, an alum, former trustee and one of the university’s largest donors, whose name appears frequently in the Epstein files. Many students and alumni have called for the billionaire retail mogul’s name to be removed from campus buildings and university health-care facilities, but the university has yet to do so.
The debate has created significant tension on campus. In February, a documentary journalist from a left-leaning publication tried to approach Gee and ask about his support for Wexner. The journalist was then assaulted by faculty member Luke Perez, who was recently hired to help advance free speech and civil discourse. Perez has since been placed on administrative leave.
