Incidents at University of California – Irvine
Total: 7
Incident 9119
Status:
Resolved
Person:
John Guzowski
Role:
Faculty
Position:
Associate Professor
Discipline:
Life Sciences
Specific Discipline:
Biology
Outcome Year:
2025
Outcome Category:
Jury / Judge Finding - Civil Case, Monetary Settlement / Award
Quote:
"The verdict comes after jurors found that the plaintiff was subjected to sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and retaliation by Dr. Guzowski"
Last updated:
Incident 9081
Status:
Resolved
Person:
Bruce Blumberg
Role:
Faculty
Position:
Professor
Discipline:
Life Sciences
Specific Discipline:
Developmental biology
Outcome Year:
2024
Outcome Category:
Fine / Salary Reduction, Suspended / Leave / Restrictions
Quote:
"A leading developmental biologist at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) this spring resumed teaching and supervising students, including undergraduates, ending a 3-month suspension without pay imposed after the school found he had likely engaged in persistent, pervasive sexual harassment. A wide-ranging university investigation of Bruce Blumberg that concluded in April 2023 supported a graduate student’s allegations of harassment that culminated in her abruptly leaving his lab and the university. An earlier sexual harassment probe of the prominent researcher had documented other instances of inappropriate conduct."
Last updated:
Incident 7677
Status:
Resolved
Person:
Francisco J. Ayala
Role:
Faculty
Position:
Professor
Discipline:
Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Bioscience
Specific Discipline:
Bioscience
Outcome Year:
2018
Outcome Category:
Honor Revoked, Resigned
Quote:
"Renowned UC Irvine biological sciences professor Francisco J. Ayala, who is also a major donor to the university, agreed to resign his post after the school substantiated sexual harassment claims made by four women."
update 6/24/21: "The U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has expelled evolutionary biologist Francisco Ayala from its ranks 3 years after he was found to have sexually harassed women colleagues. Ayala, who resigned from the University of California (UC), Irvine, in 2018 after a university investigation found him guilty of sexual harassment, is the second member NAS has ousted over sexual harassment allegations since the organization revised its bylaws 2 years ago to allow members to be removed if they violate its code of conduct."
update 6/24/21: "The U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has expelled evolutionary biologist Francisco Ayala from its ranks 3 years after he was found to have sexually harassed women colleagues. Ayala, who resigned from the University of California (UC), Irvine, in 2018 after a university investigation found him guilty of sexual harassment, is the second member NAS has ousted over sexual harassment allegations since the organization revised its bylaws 2 years ago to allow members to be removed if they violate its code of conduct."
Link(s):
Last updated:
Incident 7637
Status:
Resolved
Person:
Andrew Simmons
Role:
Administrator
Position:
Academic Advisor
Discipline:
Education, Academic Advising
Specific Discipline:
Academic Advising
Outcome Year:
2017
Outcome Category:
Resigned
Quote:
"UC Irvine's Title IX office found a list of 19 UC Irvine students with whom Andrew Simmons' claimed he had compared penis sizes. The investigation also found that Simmons had sent pictures of his penis to others, asked students to send pictures of their penises to him, slept in the same room or bed with students (sometimes while naked), masturbated in front of a student, exposed himself to a student, had intimate body contact with students and paddled students' buttocks. Simmons admitted to most of the allegations, excluding those that he had had sexual contact with a minor, masturbated in front of students and had sexual contact with students pending the investigation. He was placed on investigatory leave and then voluntarily resigned."
Last updated:
Incident 7636
Status:
Resolved
Person:
Joseph Lewis
Role:
Administrator
Position:
Dean
Discipline:
Arts and Humanities
Specific Discipline:
Arts
Outcome Year:
2014
Outcome Category:
Resigned
Quote:
"A University of California, Irvine, professor and former dean who sexually harassed employees continued earning more than $200,000 a year after Title IX investigations found him responsible in 2014.
...
In a letter dated Oct. 2, 2014, UCI Associate Chancellor Michael Arias said it was mutually decided Lewis would no longer serve as dean for the school of the arts."
...
In a letter dated Oct. 2, 2014, UCI Associate Chancellor Michael Arias said it was mutually decided Lewis would no longer serve as dean for the school of the arts."
Last updated:
Incident 7676
Status:
Resolved
Person:
Nikishna Polequaptewa
Role:
Administrator
Position:
Director of American Indian Resource Program
Discipline:
Arts and Humanities, American Indian Studies
Specific Discipline:
American Indian Studies
Outcome Year:
2014
Outcome Category:
No Longer Employed (includes Fired and Contract Non-renewal)
Quote:
Fired
Last updated:
Incident 7675
Status:
Resolved
Person:
Dragan Kujundzic
Role:
Faculty
Position:
Associate Professor
Discipline:
Arts and Humanities, Languages
Specific Discipline:
Languages
Outcome Year:
2004
Outcome Category:
Monetary Settlement / Award
Quote:
Banned from campus for two semesters and lawsuit settled. Now professor at University of Florida.
Last updated: