Embattled Harvard Professor John Comaroff Retires Without Emeritus Status

Harvard professor John L. Comaroff retired without emeritus status on June 30, an abrupt ending for the once-respected anthropologist whose career unraveled after four years of battling sexual harassment allegations and calls for his termination.

Comaroff, who held dual appointments in the Anthropology and African and African American Studies departments, has not been granted emeritus status — an unusual delay in conferring an honor that most tenured Faculty of Arts and Sciences professors receive as a formality upon retirement.

Ruth K. O’Meara Costello ’02, a lawyer for Comaroff, wrote in an email that the “understanding is that his emeritus status has not been determined” and that the decision lies with FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra.

But Harvard’s delay in conferring the emeritus status may not be a delay at all. Government professor Jorge I. Domínguez and Anthropology professor Gary Urton — two other professors who faced allegations of sexual harassment — were stripped of their emeritus status by former FAS Dean Claudine Gay.

Comaroff, 79, wrote in a post on his website that the allegations against him and their aftermath had “no bearing on my decision to retire.” He notified Harvard of his intent to retire on March 8 after the FAS offered its faculty members a one-time retirement program to those aged 73 or older.

African and African American Studies and Anthropology professor Jean Comaroff, John Comaroff’s wife, retired alongside him and is now listed as a professor emerita in her departments.

While Comaroff’s retirement means Harvard will no longer have to handle controversy among students over his continued employment, it leaves the FAS with thorny questions about his legacy at the University.

An FAS spokesperson declined to comment on Comaroff’s emeritus status. The chairs of the Anthropology and AAAS departments also did not respond to requests for comment.

At Harvard, emeritus status has traditionally been offered to tenured faculty over the age of 60 upon their retirement. Department chairs decide whether to recommend retiring professors to the FAS dean to receive the title. The dean, in turn, makes a recommendation to Harvard’s provost, who issues a final decision.

In 2022, two additional requirements for emeritus status were added to the FAS appointment and promotion handbook: “a minimum of five years of continuous service immediately preceding retirement” and “faithful service,” defined as “service in keeping with Harvard’s fundamental institutional values.”

The changes were made after Domínguez and Urton were stripped of their emeritus status and appear to give the FAS broader latitude to withhold the honor from faculty who retire amid controversy.

The allegations against Comaroff first came to light in a 2020 investigation by The Crimson, which found a pattern of sexual harassment allegations against three senior Anthropology professors: Comaroff, Urton, and Theodore C. Bestor.

Gay first put Comaroff on paid leave in August 2020, before placing him on unpaid leave in January 2022 after University investigations found he violated the FAS’ professional conduct and sexual harassment policies.

Comaroff’s return to teaching in the fall 2022 semester was marked by calls for his firing or resignation, with Harvard students staging a walkout, launching an email campaign, and occupying University Hall.

Prior to his retirement, Comaroff was on medical leave and had not taught courses since fall 2023. In an October 2023 interview, Hoekstra said Comaroff was still barred from teaching required undergraduate courses.

An FAS spokesperson declined to comment on whether Comaroff still faced sanctions at the time of his retirement.

Three graduate students sued Harvard in February 2022, alleging that the University knew of sexual misconduct allegations against Comaroff at the time of his hiring and inadequately responded to harassment complaints from his students at Harvard. In November 2022, the lawsuit moved to a confidential mediation process.

—Staff writer Neil H. Shah contributed reporting.

—Staff writer Tilly R. Robinson can be reached at tilly.robinson@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @tillyrobin.