This past weekend, Ted Carter, the president of Ohio State University, suddenly resigned after revealing that he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman connected to the university.

There were no further details exposed about the type of relationship the two had; however, the relationship became a major concern because the woman was reportedly seeking access to university leaders and resources to help support her personal business. This raised ethical questions and conflicts of interest.

Despite Carter’s huge salary consisting of a 4.5% merit raise in August, bringing his new base salary to $1.2 million (along with a $400,000 bonus), Carter informed the university’s Board of Trustees about the situation and offered to step down. The meeting ultimately took 3 hours, and after a long time, the board accepted his resignation.

Chairman John W. Zeiger wrote a letter in response to Carter’s resignation, mentioning how he respected Carter’s decision and appreciated his cooperation in supporting an orderly leadership transition. He finalized it by wishing the very best for Carter and his wife, Lynda, in the future.

Carter’s resignation surprised many students and faculty since he had only been president since 2024 and was expected to lead the university til at least 2028. Now the university is beginning the process of transitioning leadership and deciding who will lead Ohio State next, while the situation continues to be reviewed.