Sexual Misconduct, Accused Scientists, and Their Research

Abstract Does the scientific community sanction sexual misconduct? Using a sample of scientists at U.S. universities involved in substantiated cases of sexual misconduct that became public, we find that their prior work is cited less after the allegations become known. The effect weakens with distance in the coauthorship network, suggesting that researchers primarily learn about misconduct through their peers. Among the closest peers, male authors react more strongly. In male-dominated fields, the effects on citations appear muted. Accused scientists are more likely to leave academic research, to move to non-university institutions, and to publish less.