The OSU Marching Band plays at a football game against Buffalo.
Credit: Ritika Shah / Lantern TV News director
Ohio State has started its search to replace former band director Jonathan Waters.
A search committee of students, faculty, staff and alumni will be brought together “in coming weeks,” with the new director expected to be named within four to six months, according to an OSU press release.
College of Arts and Sciences executive dean and vice provost David Manderscheid chose Arts and Humanities divisional dean Mark Shanda to chair the committee.
“Mark’s leadership background, knowledge of the marching band and School of Music and true commitment to working collaboratively are great assets,” Manderscheid said in a released statement.
Waters was fired July 24 after a two-month OSU investigation into a complaint from a band member’s parent found “serious cultural issues and an environment conducive to sexual harassment within the marching band,” according to an OSU statement. It was found that Waters was either aware of, or reasonably should have been aware of that culture, but did not do enough to address it.
Since his dismissal, Waters and his attorney have made multiple public appearances and submitted a letter asking for OSU to consider rehiring him. OSU President Michael Drake and the Board of Trustees, however, have declined to reconsider his case.
In the meantime, OSU named two interim directors for the 2014-15 season, and a second investigation into the band’s culture is underway. University Bands director Russel Mikkelson and associate director Scott Jones will lead the band until a permanent director is chosen.
The second investigation, led by former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery and reporting to Drake and the Board, is planned to be completed by early October. It will assess the band culture, review OSU administrative processes and oversight and counsel the university on Title IX compliance issues.
OSU had not said as of early August what compensation the firms participating in the investigation will receive, but Montgomery will work pro bono without compensation from the university.
Title IX is a section of the Education Amendments of 1972 that aims to protect against discrimination based on sex in education programs that receive federal funding.
Shanda said in a released statement he’s honored to lead the search committee and plans to “identify the best possible candidate” for the next permanent band director.
