Professor Specializing in Lying Research Had Academic Title Revoked Due to Data Fraud

"USA - For the first time in nearly 80 years, Harvard University has revoked the academic title of a professor at the school following a prolonged investigation into academic misconduct.

Francesca Gino, a renowned professor at Harvard Business School, who was once lauded for her research on honesty and unethical behavior, has officially had her academic title revoked after being found to have manipulated data in multiple scientific studies. This marks the first time since the 1940s that Harvard University has made such a decision, according to the university's confirmation.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ms. Gino is accused of manipulating data in at least four academic papers she co-authored. Three of those papers have since been retracted from scientific journals. These studies primarily related to fraudulent behavior, guilt, and moral motivation – topics on which Gino was once considered a leading expert.

Francesca Gino, một giáo sư nổi tiếng tại Trường Kinh doanh Harvard, đã bị sa thải trong tuần qua sau khi nhà trường phát hiện bà làm giả dữ liệu trong các nghiên cứu về sự không trung thực. Ảnh: Linkedin

."In June 2023, after an 18-month internal investigation, Harvard concluded that Gino had engaged in 'research misconduct' and decided to suspend her without pay, while revoking all her academic positions. After nearly two years since the allegations surfaced, in May 2025, the university officially revoked her professorship – an extremely rare action at prestigious universities.

From Ethics Expert to Defendant in a $25 Million Lawsuit

Ms. Francesca Gino began working at Harvard Business School in 2010 and was appointed full professor in 2014. She served as Head of the Negotiation, Organizations, and Markets unit from 2018-2021. Her name was associated with research on why people lie and the role of emotions like guilt in regulating ethical behavior. Her research was widely cited in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, NPR, and many other reputable media outlets.

However, her career began to falter in 2021 when three behavioral researchers – Leif Nelson, Uri Simonsohn, and Joe Simmons – who run the Data Colada blog, raised suspicions about the validity of data in some works co-authored by Gino. They stated that they found 'evidence of manual tampering with original data,' altering results to be more positive for the research."

After Harvard received the report from the Data Colada team, the university began an investigation and kept the results confidential until June 2023. Gino then filed a lawsuit against Harvard and the research team, seeking $25 million in damages, alleging that the university had violated internal policies and applied a disciplinary process "tailored" to deal with her. In the lawsuit, Gino denied all misconduct and called the accusations "baseless."

Harvard Remains Silent, Academic World Shaken

According to CNBC News, a Harvard spokesperson confirmed the revocation of the academic title but declined to provide further information, citing reasons related to personnel privacy. Meanwhile, The Harvard Crimson – Harvard University's student newspaper – stated that since the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) established rules on tenure termination in the 1940s, no professor at this university had ever had their academic title revoked.

A federal court dismissed the defamation portion of Gino's lawsuit in September 2023, arguing that Data Colada's analyses were protected by the First Amendment (freedom of speech). However, the lawsuit related to the accusation that Harvard breached its contract is still being reviewed.

Ms. Gino currently maintains a personal website updating the progress of the lawsuit, in which she asserts: 'I have never committed fraud in academic research. When presented in court, with support from experts (even though Harvard has prevented me from accessing them), the truth will come out.'

The incident caused a stir not only because Gino was one of the most prominent figures in the field of ethics and behavioral research, but also because this situation raises major questions about the ability to monitor and verify data in social sciences – a field that is increasingly influencing policy, education, and business.

Academics believe that the incident will set an important precedent for how universities handle academic misconduct, while also promoting the demand for transparency, independent verification, and research ethics within the global scientific community."

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