William White, a former Ohio State football player, has left his position at the university following an investigation into sexual harassment allegations. Credit: Courtesy of TNS
A former Ohio State football player has left his position at the university following an investigation into sexual harassment allegations.
William White, who played for the Buckeyes from 1984 to ’87, resigned from his role as director of community and corporate engagement for the College of Engineering in lieu of termination following the conclusion of an investigation that found sufficient evidence of “non-consensual sexual activity” demonstrated by White, according to the report.
The complaint against White was filed Feb. 22, and the investigation concluded April 30. University spokesperson Ben Johnson said in an email that White’s last day in office was Feb. 22, but he remained on the payroll until Aug. 10.
Johnson said that White was “primarily responsible for building relationships with community and corporate partners to enhance their engagement with the College of Engineering.” White also served as an ambassador of the Alumni Association at various events and activities, Johnson said.
White initially worked in the College of Engineering from 2010 to ’12 and was rehired in 2018 after serving as Midwest regional vice president for Project Lead the Way, an American nonprofit organization that develops STEM curricula for elementary, middle and high school students.
Johnson said the university launched an investigation immediately upon hearing of the allegations.
White did not respond to requests for comment.
White played 11 seasons in the NFL as a defensive back following his Ohio State football career.
White entered the cubicle of the unnamed female complainant on Feb. 22, told her to look into his eyes and kissed her on the lips, according to the report. After telling White to leave, the complainant said he attempted to kiss her again and then left the cubicle. He returned two hours later to try to kiss her again, according to the report.
In an interview that was part of the investigation, White said he was in the complainant’s cubicle, and he and the complainant’s “faces were very close, and they were turning their heads back and forth, trying not to blink,” and that “their faces got close enough that their noses touched, causing them both to jump back.” White then left the cubicle, and when he returned to it later, he attempted to “touch noses” again as a joke.
According to the report, White was scheduled to go on the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer — Ohio State’s annual fundraiser that aims to recruit cancer experts to the Wexner Medical Center’s James Cancer Hospital — Feb. 23, but following allegations, the university told White not to attend. The Office of Human Resources was notified that White departed for Florida anyway after attempting to move the meeting time regarding the investigation and was escorted off the cruise ship.
The report also includes an investigation into an anonymous complaint filed April 9, which accused David Williams, dean of the College of Engineering, and Jim Smith, president and CEO of the Alumni Association, of interfering in the investigation into White.
Williams accused the two human resources investigators of implicit bias because “it was difficult for White investigators to fairly review the misconduct alleged” against White, who is black, according to the report.
The report found that although Williams and Smith raised “strong concerns about the process and intended outcome of the investigation,” there was no evidence to suggest interference.
LanternTV Special Projects Director Jack Long contributed to this story.
