New details emerge about the Title IX investigation into Lt. Col. Michael Kelvington

Former Ohio State University military science professor Lt. Col. Michael Kelvington is under investigation for sexual misconduct and “conduct that may constitute non-consensual sexual penetration, stalking and/or a illicit relationship,” according to documents recently obtained by The Lantern .

Kelvington, a leader of Ohio State’s ROTC program, was previously relieved of his university position replaced by Lt. Col. Steven Spiker June 7th as part of a ongoing Title IX investigation.

The Lantern filed a records request on June 18 to learn more about what prompted the investigation and Kelvington’s removal. On Thursday, the university complied with the request, providing emails from Ohio State’s Office of Institutional Equity outlining the “general material nature” of the allegations against Kelvington.

Records show that on March 8, the OIE received allegations that Kelvington engaged in “non-consensual sexual penetration” while a person was intoxicated, and that Kelvington used his position of authority within the ROTC to pressure the person to do so .

Other allegations include that Kelvington kissed the back of a person’s hand, that he “constantly” contacted a person to ask them to have a sexual relationship – despite her repeatedly stating that she was uncomfortable and asking Kelvington to marry her not to contact – and that he placed his hand on a person’s hand and made sexual comments, touched a person’s buttocks and contacted a person to dissuade them from reporting such behavior.

The Lantern could not confirm whether such incidents involved the same person or multiple people, as university spokesman Ben Johnson said “personally identifiable student information” was redacted from the records.

Although The Lantern also could not confirm the current status of the investigation, Kelvington said in an email that he denies these allegations.

“I deny any sexual misconduct in my role as a professor of military science,” Kelvington said. “However, I am concerned that selective leaks of information will jeopardize the investigative process and jeopardize the privacy rights of all individuals involved in these allegations.”

Records show that on March 27, Kelvington sent a series of “supporting documents” to the OIE as part of his investigation, including 16 character statements from alumni, female cadets and lieutenants, current and former cadre members and more. Those documents also included photos, screenshots and receipts that Kelvington said supported his statement, although The Lantern did not have access to his statement to confirm details.

In addition, the records include nine affidavits submitted between January 25 and February 28 by individuals whose names were redacted as part of the OIE’s investigation. Four of these statements claim to have either witnessed Kelvington’s prohibited behavior or been a direct victim of it.

Five statements either expressed support for Kelvington’s innocence or found any behavior they saw and/or heard unproblematic, such as one person saying they believed it was “a false claim without evidence,” or another who said she “never felt disrespected.” ” from Kelvington and “know that other cadets feel the same way.”

“Ohio State has no tolerance for sexual misconduct or harassment. When allegations of misconduct are made, we respond quickly, provide support services as needed, investigate the allegations and hold individuals responsible when warranted,” university spokesman Chris Booker said in a statement. “We have taken steps within ROTC to provide a safe and healthy environment and to support all cadets in need of services.”

According to the previous lantern reportingThe U.S. Army Cadet Command confirmed that Kelvington was issued a “no contact order” on Jan. 22, requiring him not to interact with cadets and to “perform administrative duties only.”

Kelvington was later removed from his position and replaced by Spiker, who had served as interim professor of military science at the university.

The U.S. Army Cadet Command works with universities to recruit, educate, and train senior ROTC cadets so that they can be prepared to enter the Army as “officers of character” after their time at the university and upon commissioning, states its mission statement for US military installations website.

Additional previous lantern reporting revealed that Kelvington had violated a “stay away order” in February and March, respectively, which meant he could only be on campus for approved appointments. At the time, he had been removed from campus during an ongoing Title IX investigation.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, according to the U.S. Department of Education website. Sexual assault, other forms of sexual violence and mistreatment of LGBTQI+ students, among several others, are “key issue areas” included in Title IX website.