Hunter Professor Resigns After Drug Use, Sex Misconduct Claims

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A distinguished psychology professor at CUNY's Hunter College campus on the Upper East Side known for his research on HIV and drug use resigned following a school probe into claims of misconduct from fellow employees, a university spokesman confirmed.

Jeffrey Parsons left CUNY at the beginning of July after an investigation substantiated claims that the professor used cocaine at school events and hosted university-affiliated, booze-fueled parties where he was accused of sexually harassing other employees.

The investigation was launched following a May 2018 party Parsons threw at the Stonewall Inn, the New York Post first reported.

"Dr. Parsons’ conduct was reprehensible. There is no place for it at CUNY. By dealing with what happened decisively and to the fullest extent, the University is sending a clear message that there will be zero tolerance of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct," CUNY spokesman Frank Sobrino told Patch in a statement.

Parsons headed CUNY's Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training during his tenure at the university. During his time leading the center it was known for its research into unsafe sex and drug use and won millions in grant money, the New York Post reported. Each year, Parsons would throw a party for the center's staff using money from a school expense account, according to the report.

The parties grew increasingly raunchy every year, and Parsons' behavior at the 2018 event caused employees to bring complaints to university administrators. The professor was accused of forcing employees to drink, telling employees to take off their shirts and lifting an employee's shirt to expose their chest without their permission, the Post reported.

Parsons' Hunter College faculty page and university press releases that mention him appear to have been removed from the school's website. The Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training has also been re-branded as PRIDE, which stands for Promoting Resilience, Intersectionality, Diversity and Equity.

CUNY has now faced two scandals in recent years in which school officials were forced to fire faculty for sexual misconduct.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice professors Ric Curtis, Anthony Marcus, Barry Spunt and Leonardo Dominguez were part of a debauched group of faculty based in a suite of offices they called "The Swamp" who harassed and assaulted students. All four professors were put on leave after the school learned of the allegations, and President Karol V. Mason is now seeking to fire three of them based on the evidence that investigators documented, according to a letter Mason sent out last month. The fourth is an adjunct professor who is no longer teaching at the school, the letter says.

The City University of New York's board of directors hired a law firm to conduct an investigation of a "complex series of alleged violations" of the school's sexual misconduct policies, according to records from a June board meeting. CUNY Spokesman Frank Sobrino declined to comment about the investigation when asked earlier this month.