CINCINNATI (AP) – Ohio State trustees have decided against reinstating the university’s marching band director, who was fired after an investigation showed he knew about, but failed to stop, a sexualized band culture.
Board Chairman Jeffrey Wadsworth wrote Friday to Jonathan Waters’ attorney, saying the board “stands firmly” behind the findings of a university investigation and President Michael Drake’s decision to oust him.
Waters, who had led the band since 2012, had written to the board asking for a chance to return to his job, citing what he called flaws in the university probe and his positive performance review weeks before he was terminated. His elaborate halftime shows drawn on iPads revolutionized the field and prompted millions of fan views on YouTube.
He wanted the board to take up the matter at its next meeting this month. Wadsworth’s letter to attorney David Axelrod said the board won’t review the case.
“We consider the matter closed and we are moving forward as a university,” the letter said.
