Francesca Gino, a prominent behavioral scientist at Harvard Business School (HBS), has been dismissed and stripped of tenure following allegations of data manipulation in several research studies. Known for her influential work on dishonesty and ethical behavior, Gino was terminated after Harvard’s top governing board concluded she had altered data in at least four studies to support her hypotheses.
The decision marks a rare disciplinary action at the Ivy League institution. According to The Harvard Crimson, this is the first time in decades that Harvard has revoked a professor’s tenure. The university did not publicly confirm the details of her dismissal, citing personnel privacy, but informed faculty members during a closed-door meeting. Gino had published over 140 academic papers and earned numerous accolades before the controversy erupted.
Investigation Uncovers Alleged Research Misconduct
Concerns surrounding Gino’s work surfaced in 2023 after the blog Data Colada, authored by a trio of behavioral scientists, accused her of using fraudulent data in four published papers dating from 2012 to 2020. These allegations prompted a formal investigation by Harvard, which began in late 2021. The inquiry involved internal reviews by HBS faculty, interviews with Gino and her collaborators, and forensic analysis by an external firm.
In defense, Gino suggested the discrepancies could have been due to honest errors by her or her research assistants, or potential tampering by someone with “malicious intentions.” However, investigators rejected both possibilities and presented their findings to Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar in March 2023. Harvard then placed Gino on unpaid administrative leave and began the process of revoking her tenure and terminating her employment. Three of the four studies in question are now facing retraction requests, while one had already been withdrawn prior to the investigation.
Lawsuit and Denials Amid Ongoing Legal Battle
Gino has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining her innocence on her personal website. In multiple public statements, she asserted, “I did not commit academic fraud. I did not manipulate data to produce a particular result.” In 2023, she filed a $25 million lawsuit against Harvard, Dean Datar, and the authors of Data Colada, claiming defamation, reputational harm, and significant career setbacks caused by the Harvard Business School ‘s investigation and the bloggers’ posts.
Despite her legal efforts, a federal judge in Boston dismissed her defamation claims in September, ruling that Gino, as a public figure, was subject to greater scrutiny and protected commentary under the First Amendment. She remains vocal about her intention to clear her name, stating in a March 2024 blog post, “Once I have the opportunity to prove this in the court of law…you’ll see why their case is so weak and that these are bogus allegations.”
The controversy has sent shockwaves through the academic community, particularly as Gino’s work focused on ethics, honesty, and the very types of behavior now under scrutiny.
