Tufts University has filed a federal lawsuit to stop theater professor Ted Simpson from returning to the classroom, challenging an arbitrator's decision that ordered his reinstatement after he was fired for having sex in his campus office within earshot of a student. The case traces back to March 25, 2025, when an undergraduate working in a classroom next to Simpson's office reported hearing what they described as sexual noises coming from inside, and recorded audio of the encounter.
According to Boston.com, the student reported Simpson to the university's Office of Equal Opportunity, setting off a Title IX investigation. Tufts says it ultimately fired Simpson for engaging in sexual activity on campus near a working student, violating its Sexual Misconduct Policy, and lying during the investigation into his conduct. The university's federal lawsuit now asks a judge to vacate the arbitration award that would put him back in front of students.
A Shifting Story About Betty Blue
Simpson initially claimed, per the lawsuit, that he had been watching the 1986 erotic drama Betty Blue in his office that night — but a Tufts Title IX investigator determined the sounds the student recorded did not match the film. Per court documents, Simpson later admitted that he and his girlfriend had “let our emotions get the best of us,” while maintaining there had been no penetration or oral sex during the encounter. He has described the incident as an isolated lapse in an otherwise unblemished teaching career spanning more than two decades, saying it occurred quietly behind closed doors late that night.
The student who reported him did not drop Simpson's course and attended his class the day after the incident, according to the same account. Tufts says it fired Simpson not only for the sexual activity itself but also for violating its Sexual Misconduct Policy and for dishonesty during the subsequent investigation.
Union Took the Fight to Arbitration
SEIU Local 509, which represents Simpson and other Tufts instructors, brought his case to arbitration in July 2025, alleging he had been fired without just cause. Arbitrator Elizabeth Neumeier sided with the union, ordering Simpson reinstated with full seniority and no back pay, along with a written reprimand added to his record. Neumeier reportedly found that the reporting student was not so traumatized that they fled the area, and argued that making out and petting in a private office late at night merited more lenient treatment than Tufts had applied.
The arbitrator's ruling also identified the woman with Simpson as his girlfriend and clarified that she has no affiliation with Tufts. Tufts, in its lawsuit, pushed back hard on the arbitrator's reasoning: the university argued that its Sexual Misconduct Policy makes no distinction based on the specific sexual acts being performed or the sounds emanating from them. Under the policy, which Tufts' Office of Equal Opportunity states decides violations under a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, sanctions for employees can range from verbal or written warnings to demotions, suspensions and termination, according to the Tufts Office of Equal Opportunity.
Minors in the Classroom a Central Concern
Tufts also argued that reinstating Simpson would place him back in a role requiring direct contact with colleagues and students, some of whom are minors. The university filed its federal lawsuit earlier in October, asking the judge to vacate the arbitration award under the terms of its collective bargaining agreement with SEIU Local 509.
As of the report, the union had not filed its formal response to Tufts' lawsuit, and an attorney for SEIU Local 509 did not respond to a request for comment. Massachusetts law lists grounds for vacating an arbitration award, including corruption, fraud or other undue means, evident partiality by the arbitrator, or misconduct that prejudiced a party's rights; it says a court shall confirm an award if an application to vacate is denied and no motion to modify or correct is pending, according to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 251, Section 12. Whether Tufts can meet that bar, and whether Simpson ultimately returns to teaching, remains before the court.
