The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) reported Bill Frakes, a former Sports Illustrated photographer and 1983 Photographer of the Year in the Pictures of the Year competition, will not return to his position as a lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after a Title IX harassment complaint was filed against him. The complaint was accompanied by notes from "at least ten other students" including photojournalim majors and those from other universities who also worked with Frakes.
Calla Kessler, a student at Nebraska, first filed the sexual harassment complaint that was accompanied by statements from both male and female peers who witnessed some of the behavior Kessler cited. The complaint comes after Kessler first raised the issue in a private Facebook group, where she sought advice from other female journalists, but where she had not identified her professor.
The conversation on Facebook "launched an extensive discussion in which other women discussed the ongoing problem of harassment and discrimination in the journalism industry," according to NPPA, to which Kessler spoke and asked to be identified after initially remaining private in the online group.
Frakes will not be lecturing at the university any longer, and both he and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are keeping the process leading up to the potential hearing confidential.
[via NPPA]
The Journalism school there at Nebraska has had an outstanding reputation. I've taken a few classes there myself. I hope the best for the school and those involved.
This is huge. Bill Frakes is one of the big names in the photo industry.