The president of Franklin College in Franklin, Ind., has been fired after being arrested in Wisconsin on sex charges.
The Indianapolis Star reports that Thomas J. Minar was arrested over the weekend in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., on preliminary charges of use of a computer to facilitate a sex crime, child enticement and exposing a child to harmful materials/narrations.
The college was made aware of the "deeply disturbing incident" in an email from the Sturgeon Bay Police Department and the Board of Trustees "acted immediately," according to school officials.
“The safety of our campus community – especially our students – is always our first priority," says Jim Due, chair of the board. "We are deeply shocked and gravely concerned by the reported behavior of Dr. Minar that led to his arrest in Wisconsin, and we will continue to cooperate fully with authorities."
Franklin is a small liberal arts college, about 25 miles southeast of Indianapolis.
Minar, 56, had been with Franklin College since 2015. He came to Franklin from American University in Washington, D.C., where he was vice president for development and alumni relations.
Minar was Franklin College's first openly gay president. In a 2015 interview, Minar talked about the importance of diversity and inclusion in academic communities.
Minar already had decided to step down from his post at the end of the 2019-20 school year. A search for his replacement was ongoing, according to college officials.
