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T HE T UFTS DAILY VOLUME LXXXIV, ISSUE 9
Thursday, November 3, 2022
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MASS.
JT Duck accused of discrimination by admissions employees NATALIE BROWNSELL / THE TUFTS DAILY
by Aaron Gruen
Deputy News Editor
An external law firm is investigating the Tufts admissions office following complaints from employees who allege discrimination on the part of office leadership, according to current and former admissions officers and emails obtained by the Daily. Since the arrival of current Dean of Admissions JT Duck in fall 2019, employees allege that the office has suffered from questionable leadership, abrupt departures, retaliation and behavior from the dean that employees characterized as racist, sexist, transphobic and antisemitic. At least 22 employees, which today would make up about half of the office staff, have departed the undergraduate, graduate and SMFA admissions offices since August 2019. In interviews with the Daily, nine current and former admissions employees — speaking on the condition of anonymity — described how a “toxic” workplace culture contributed to the departures of many of these staff members. Employees also alleged that Duck ignored reports of discrimination and punished criticism of his leadership, prompt-
The office that decides who gets a Tufts education suffers internally from discrimination and poor leadership, employees allege, prompting the university to hire an outside law firm to investigate. ing at least two employees to lodge complaints against him with Tufts’ Office of Equal Opportunity. McCarter & English, the law firm hired by the OEO, has interviewed current and former staff about their experiences in the admissions office and working with Duck, according to emails obtained by the Daily and interviews with former admissions officials. The investigation has been underway since at least
Tufts’ executive director of media relations, Patrick Collins, said the university typically doesn’t comment on personnel matters. “When allegations are made by community members regarding workplace matters, the University regularly reviews those allegations consistent with applicable policies and procedures. The existence of any such review is not evidence of wrongdoing; it is the first step in a fact-finding process,” he wrote in an email to the Daily.
“JT rewards loyalty to him above all else, and on the other side of the coin, he punishes what he perceives as disloyalty to him.” June. It remains unclear when it will conclude. McCarter & English and the Office of Equal Opportunity did not respond to requests for comment. Duck declined to comment on the allegations, citing “respect for the university’s processes and procedures, and the important reasons for maintaining the privacy of all involved.”
Employees said some of the conditions that led to their departures, including what they described as low pay and heavy workloads, are common in higher education. But the allegations contradict the university’s public commitment to equity and inclusion. Sources also alleged that workplace pressure affected not
only employees but the applicant pool as well. At least one former admissions employee was asked to read as many as 90 to 100 applications per day and work on weekends, which they said kept them from spending more than about five minutes assessing each candidate. “I couldn’t at the end of the day remember anyone I read. I’ve never worked in an admissions office where I didn’t have three or four standout applicants I could remember at the end of the day,” a former assistant director of admissions said. “That sheer amount of volume made it feel like we weren’t giving a lot of respect to our candidates who were applying.” One former employee recalled Duck allegedly misgendering applicants and making jokes about pronouns, and another alleged that an administrative push to recruit more “conservative” Jews spawned animosity toward Jewish applicants while prioritizing some over others. “I have always sought to create an environment in which differences are respected and values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are embraced, and I remain committed to doing so moving forward,” Duck wrote in a statement to the Daily. “As a manager, I fully support the
right of individuals to raise their thoughts and concerns with me and to seek redress from the university’s established processes if they feel their concerns have gone unheard.” The allegations come just months after the university’s two chief diversity officers both left their positions following an administrative reshuffling in the provost’s office and amid accusations of a workplace culture that contradicted anti-racist commitments. The revelations also coincide with a period of increased public scrutiny of diversity in admissions, as the Supreme Court weighs outlawing affirmative action. Duck ignored reports of discrimination, employees allege In an admissions office meeting following George Floyd’s murder, Duck openly encouraged employees to speak up about their experiences with racism in the workplace, current and former employees said. But when they did, it became clear to some that Duck’s rhetoric was “performative.” One former admissions employee and alum said that once Duck prompted discussee ADMISSIONS, page 2
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