By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
A former dean of Princeton University’s architecture school sued the university this week over his ouster from that position in 2014.
In October of that year, the university announced that Alejandro Zaera-Polo had resigned “to devote greater attention to his research and other professional activities.” He had held the job since 2012.
Mr. Zaera-Polo, in a “clarifying statement” that he issued on March 16, 2015, said university President Christopher L. Eisgruber had asked for his resignation after he acknowledged removing “all citations from my contribution” to a catalogue for an architecture exhibition, in 2014.
“While I acknowledge that my actions were unorthodox in an academic setting, I do not believe that I have breached any moral, ethical or other applicable standards,” he wrote last year.
His civil suit was brought in Mercer County Superior Court. Court staff had not yet processed the lawsuit and therefore would not release a copy of the document to the Princeton Packet on Wednesday.
The architecture magazine, Dezeen, on Wednesday broke the story about Mr. Zaera-Polo’s legal action and obtained a leaked copy of the suit that alleges breach of contract and other claims against the university.
“More than anything I want the process to be public. It cannot simply stay within the university red tape,” Mr. Zaera-Polo, an architecture professor at the university, said in an email Wednesday.
For its part, Princeton said in a statement Wednesday that it stands by its actions.
“The university is aware that Professor Zaera-Polo has filed an action against it and others relating to the investigation and disposition of research misconduct claims asserted against him and to his resignation as Dean of the School of Architecture,” the statement read.
“The university is confident that the officials and faculty members who investigated and adjudicated the claims against Professor Zaera-Polo did so fairly and in accordance with university policies and procedures,” the statement continued. “The university will defend its position in court, and looks forward to the successful resolution of these claims.”
