Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. is out as president of The Ohio State University after admitting to trustees that he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman seeking public resources to help her personal business, the school announced Monday. Carter offered to resign on the spot, and the board took him up on it, triggering an internal review and a fast-moving leadership transition at one of the country's largest public universities.
In a statement, The Ohio State University said Carter informed trustees of the inappropriate relationship and then volunteered his resignation. The university released his letter, where he admitted he "made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership." The statement thanked Carter for his service and said details on the transition would roll out in the coming days.
According to The Associated Press, Board Chair John Zeiger accepted Carter's resignation in a letter dated Sunday, following a private executive session of trustees on Saturday. Zeiger wrote that the board was "surprised and disappointed" to learn about the situation and thanked Carter for helping to ensure an orderly handoff. A university spokesperson said Carter did not attend the meeting, although trustees had been notified beforehand.
Axios reported that university spokesperson Ben Johnson said Ohio State will "investigate potential concerns regarding public resources," and that trustees are expected to finalize a transition plan this week. Axios also noted that Carter had been hired on a five-year term beginning January 1, 2024, so he is departing less than three years into that contract. His abrupt exit has renewed questions about oversight and how non-university interests gain access to senior leadership.
What Comes Next
Trustees are expected to tap interim leadership and map out a new presidential search that includes voices from faculty, alumni and the board itself. Carter officially started in the role on January 1, 2024, according to the Office of the President at Ohio State, which now finds itself back on the hunt for a leader for a campus of more than 60,000 students. University officials have signaled they want to project stability while the internal review plays out and the transition framework is put in place.
Campus Reaction And Calls For Transparency
On campus, the news landed hard. Students, faculty and campus organizations expressed shock and pressed the university to spell out exactly what it means by "public resources" in this context. The Lantern reported that the Ohio State chapter of the American Association of University Professors called for a transparent search process for the next president and argued that "the students, faculty, and staff of Ohio State deserve so much better." Campus leaders also said the resignation has intensified scrutiny of how trustees and major donors interact with top administrators.
Why This Matters
The leadership shakeup hits a university that manages an $11.5 billion revenue budget and educates more than 60,000 students, so stability at the top is not a minor concern for lawmakers, donors or the campus community. As The Associated Press noted, trustees had recently approved both a merit raise and a roughly $398,000 bonus for Carter, on top of a base salary near $1.1 million. The university has said it will investigate any potential misuse of public resources tied to the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.
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