(Editor's Note: The following statement was emailed to News Photographer by Larry Nighswander following Ohio University's announcement of Nighswander's resignation.)
I have decided to end my relationship with Ohio University. I have made this decision reluctantly. I am very proud of the positive changes made during my tenure as director of the School of Visual Communication. Enrollment more than doubled and faculty size increased to ten full-time faculty. We instituted a selective admissions program when freshmen enrollment reached over 120 students per year. We established an annual student show that each year is visited by hundreds of students and their families and our alumni. We created an annual community documentary photography project, "Dawn to Dusk," These annual projects are viewed by people from all over the world. Our students consistently secured the top internships in the country including The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report and National Geographic. Two of our students won College Photographer of the Year Honors. I have mentored 3 Fulbright Scholars in the last 2 years and several former students have been awarded Pulitzer Prizes during my tenure as director. Our graduate students have been awarded several Pew Fellowships as well. Last year our "Dawn to Dusk" project was featured in an issue of National Geographic Magazine.
I have had a wonderful relationship with my students and have been delighted to be invited to and attend several of their weddings. I am proud of all of them and their accomplishments.
During the horrible ordeal of false accusations I have received a consistent flow of emails offering support from former students, friends and colleagues. I have even received emails from students from other universities that had met me while they were students or during their careers. They offered heartfelt testimonials to the impact I had on their careers. There is no way for me to ever express my gratitude to all of those who took the time to write and call; to them I say, "You are why I chose to teach."
I will miss the classroom, but not the politics of academic administration. My numerous disagreements with the Ohio University Office of Legal Affairs and philosophical differences and communication problems with certain university administrators make it no longer possible for me to be effective as a faculty member at Ohio University.
As part of the settlement agreement I have agreed not to sue the university or its personnel for age discrimination, computer data theft, invasion of privacy, defamation of character, violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act, spoilage of evidence, and internal complaints of failure to follow due process. To release the University of any responsibility for negligence or intentional misconduct in this matter is a painful decision, but the legal cost of pursuing legal relief is a tremendous financial burden that is beyond my personal resources; I also don't want to see the School of Visual Communication suffer any further from the negative publicity associated with this dispute. I place my pride in the School of Visual Communication above any concern that I have over damage to my own reputation.
I continue to withhold comment on the pending federal litigation out of respect for the legal process and respect for the right of privacy of those involved. Others involved in the lawsuit have chosen to comment and release sealed false allegations in total disregard of a standing Federal Court Protective Order prohibiting release of information. This total disregard for the legal process by those involved is both discouraging and frustrating.
I continue to assert that the claims in the pending lawsuit are baseless. The inability to publicly defend oneself in light of vicious personal attacks is demoralizing beyond belief.
I'm looking forward to exploring new opportunities and I'm certain the School of Visual Communication will continue its high standard of excellence in my absence.
Consistent with the agreement with Ohio University, I will have no further comment about this matter.
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