URGENT: BuzzFeed News inquiry re allegations of sexual harassment

Dr. Krauss: 
As you know, I'm a reporter for BuzzFeed News who has been investigating sexual misconduct allegations 
against you. As we've already discussed by email, I'd very much like to interview you about these allegations in 
detail. 
In particular, you stated in an email sent on Nov 13 that two universities had investigated an incident (# 6 
below). You claimed that "both Universities independently concluded that the report was unsubstantiated and 
fabricated with malicious intent." We are not aware that either university concluded fabrication or malicious 
intent, so if you have evidence to support this assertion, we would like to see and discuss it. 
The story concerns your actions towards students while a professor of physics at Case Western Reserve 
University, as well as your conduct in non-academic settings as a prominent figure in the skeptics movement. I 
am reporting this story along with two of my colleagues on the science desk, Azeen Ghorayshi and Virginia 
Hughes. 
Our story is about several allegations of sexual misconduct dating from 2006 to 2016 (see full details below). 
Our reporting also goes into how the various institutions you have been affiliated with — Case Western, 
Arizona State University, the Australian National University, the New College of the Humanities, and the Center 
for Inquiry, for which you serve as an honorary member of the board of directors — have handled complaints 
and concerns about your behavior during this time. 
Our story is corroborated by emails, university documents, official complaints, testimony from victims and 
eyewitnesses, and interviews with more than two dozen of your current and former academic colleagues, 
students, and peers in the skeptics movement. 
I wanted to offer you the opportunity to comment and/or respond to the main facts we plan to publish. If you 
wish to comment on any of the below findings, we need to hear from you as soon as possible. We are 
planning on publishing our story Tuesday morning, Eastern US Time.

First draft: 
It is hard to know how to respond to a list of false and/or distorted allegations, along with misleading statements 
on your part. Needless to say, I treat people I interact with with respect, and I work hard to support and mentor 
students, colleagues, and members of the general public. I do not sexually harass people. If the purpose of your 
reporting is to somehow argue that that Universities and other institutions are lax in dealing with well known 
individuals like myself, then in fact the situation is quite the opposite. My high public profile opens me up to 
more scrutiny at these institutions, not less, and it also opens me up to a host of outside complaints and 
allegations that other faculty do not receive, each of which the University has to respond to. The fact that I have 
remained a professor in all Universities with which I have been associated, in good standing, and also an officer 
or an invited speaker at organizations like CFI, which have strict harassment policies, is a confirmation of the 
fact that they trust my behavior. I was asked to be an honorary director of CFI, and invited to their last 3 
meetings to speak, specifically because, as they have written me after the fact, the attendees universally 
appreciated my talks, my courtesy, and graciousness in spending time with the attendees. If the purpose of your 
report is to impugn my integrity or suggest I have a history of harassment, that too is false. As noted in one of 
your 'miscellaneous facts', as a scientist I try and remain skeptical, and rely on empirical evidence, rather than 
allegations and innuendo. I also try and judge the facts in context. The fact that Universities and other 
organizations employ me or have me on their boards, or invite me to meetings is because they value my 
contributions and my actions. 
Your specific allegations are false or distorted. Item 1 refers to a consensual encounter in my hotel room in 
2006 where we mutually decided, in a polite discussion in fact, that taking it any further would not be 
appropriate, and had respectful encounters afterwards. I cannot comment on item 3, which involves an 
anonymous 3rd party claim, because I know nothing about it, and it was not taken seriously enough to result in 
any university action. Item 4 is confusing. Are you saying that because I decided I didn't want to go out to a 
bar with a group of attendees that I was harassing them? The second part is false. I don't do that. Re incident 
5: The 'female companion' in this case is my wife, who can attest to the fact that the claim is false, which is 
what I wrote in response to the blog in question, causing it to be taken down. 
It is worthwhile responding to Item 2 and 6 in more detail, 
Re item 2: the student in question was interested in science communication, and on dozens of occasions came 
to me or wrote to me with questions. When she asked about advice for after graduation I DID tell her she was 
different than the other students in her year. The rest of them were interested in going on to graduate school, 
but she was interested in science communication so I told her that she might want to take a different path. Since 
she was the only woman in her year, as I recall, I did ask her on one of these occasions if that made it difficult 
for her in any way. I asked, because as a faculty member I was interested, and also because as someone she had 
asked for career advice from I wanted to know if that made a difference to her. Re asking her for dinner.. I have 
gone back over emails from that period. I have numerous requests from her to go for coffee to talk, which I 
usually had to turn down because I was busy, including several occasions where she asked me to have coffee 
with her off campus to talk, and I politely declined. I did let her accompany me off campus one time to watch 
me do a BBC interview because she specifically requested it. I did and do have coffee and meals with students 
on campus, and I see nothing wrong with this. I was shocked when I later learned of her complaint, not least 
because there was no inappropriate interaction and also because well after the date on which she is said to have 
been offended, she continued to email me with joking questions or comments, and at a AAAS conference in 
2008, for which she had asked, and for which I had written her a letter of recommendation to attend, my wife 
and I gave her a lift well out of our way to drop her off at her hotel, and I note in an email response to her 
email about the conference, again in 2008, I expressed that I would pass her regards along to my wife and vice 
versa. When the University informed me of the complaint I was shocked and concerned. When I spoke to 
the human resources person, including relating my concerns and providing the emails in question, I was told 
that no formal complaint of sexual harassment was deemed to be warranted in this case, and that the young 
woman in question had agreed to that. By that time I learned of the complaint I had already announced my 
intentions to leave Case to accept an offer at ASU—a very difficult decision for me because of my long-
standing attachment to the University, and the excellent relations I had with my colleagues there, both among 
the faculty and among the administration. Because I was already in Arizona at the time I was asked not to have 
any further interaction with the student I agreed to that request because it was basically moot. I was also told 
that because it was being handled informally, that (a) it should remain confidential, which I, at least abided by, 
and (b) if no further complaints were lodged in that case, that the University would remove the allegation from 
my record after 5 years, which makes me surprised that someone violated that written agreement with you. 
Re item 6: You report on ASU's response to item #6 , without including the fact that the University specifically 
stated there were never any allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment by me at the University, and the 
outside complaints were in fact related specifically to your item #6. Further you neglect to mention that this 
complaint was by an anonymous third party, not the individual who was allegedly harassed, who never lodged a 
complaint, and that no specific evidence was provided of the alleged transgression. I was surprised and 
dismayed that both ASU and ANU launched investigations on the basis of this but was told by both Universities 
that because of my high profile even such unsubstantiated third party complaints at private events unrelated to 
the University would be investigated. The complaint was investigated thoroughly by both ASU and ANU and 
both came to the conclusion that it was not credible and no university policies had been violated. In addition 
ANU's investigation, which took a full month found significant inconsistencies in the allegation, suggesting 
distortion and fabrication, I will quote from the ANU report. The initial complaint, which in fact resulted in a 
temporary suspension by ANU outlined the claim you made in the words you quoted in your note to me, along 
with the statement made in the complaint that 
"It is the University's understanding that a complaint was lodged directly to the conference organisers at the 
time of the incident." 
After the investigation, the final report absolved me of any wrongdoing, and indicated information inconsistent 
with the original claim and apparent later claims as follows: 
"The allegations were made by an observer to the incident. 
- The complaint did not identify, nor disclose the identity of the conference attendee who was allegedly touched 
in 
an unwelcome manner. 
- The conference attendee who took the `selfie' photo did not lodge a formal complaint to the conference 
organisers 
at the time of the incident (November 2016). 
- The conference attendee who witnessed the incident, did not lodge a formal complaint to the conference 
organisers 
at the time of the incident (November 2016). 
The photo submitted as part of the complaint does not provide evidence of any physical contact. 
- The complainant alleged that a photo exists, showing your hand on the breast of the conference attendee who 
took 
the `selfie' photo. This photo was not made available to the Australian National University, although it was 
requested 
in the course of the investigation." 
(And for the record I often put my hand up in front of a camera if there is a flash, as I specifically request selfies 
not to include flashes, so that I don't end up with a series bright spots in front of my eyes for the next half hour) 
What makes this particular type of allegation so repugnant is that I get asked for literally thousands of selfies, 
and when people come up to me they are vulnerable, often shaking, and sometimes overly aggressive. I am 
particularly proud of the way I attempt to make all people feel at ease, and respected, rather than humiliated. 
Thus, this false claim strikes at the heart of what I am about, which is to acknowledge fans in a way that makes 
them feel appreciated. As I understand you had a reporter watching me sign books and take selfies at the CFI 
conference in Las Vegas this year, that behavior is what they will have witnessed. Moreover, I am proud of the 
interactions I have had at both Case and ASU, with students, colleagues and staff. I have had numerous female 
graduate students, postdocs, employees, and colleagues, and as ASU attested to you, none of these have ever 
complained of harassment. Quite the contrary in fact, as I have worked hard to support them, mentor them, and 
treat them with respect. I treat others as responsible adults, and I expect to be treated equally.