He Harassed. I Got Expelled.
"Impregnated" at Eastman. Then kicked out.
Update (January 2026): The case remains unresolved. The Eastman School of Music and its parent institution, University of Rochester, have refused to offer a substantive explanation for their actions.
UR President Sarah Mangelsdorf refused to respond to two formal letters from Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) documenting clear policy violations and retaliatory conduct. See thefire.org/rochester.
The institution also refused an independent investigation, despite documented concerns regarding the integrity of their internal process.
In its submission to the New York State Division of Human Rights, the school:
Demonstrably misrepresented the findings of its own internal investigation
Submitted anonymous posts from a student smear campaign as evidence
Characterized the harassment report as “self-centered”
Referred to its own reporting process as “a saga”
In formal correspondence, FIRE described the school’s posture as revealed in its DHR statement as one of “obvious contempt.”
Neil Varon, found in violation of harassment and privacy policies as determined by university investigation, remains employed at Eastman.
John Hain, who threatened me with litigation after I published about his mishandling of the complaint—also verified by investigation—remains Eastman’s Senior Associate Dean and Title IX Coordinator.
Aan investigative article is linked here. FIRE’s formal correspondence is linked here. This is provided for current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and others seeking a documented account of how these institutions handled harassment complaints.
Summary:
This excerpt documents sexually explicit and degrading comments made publicly by Neil Varon regarding my prior studies, his fixation on a former abusive mentor, and his initiation of unauthorized contact with that individual about me. The conduct culminated in a formal university finding that Varon violated the Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination and breached FERPA protections. Despite this determination, Varon remained employed, while I was later expelled without process based on vague allegations regarding my “communication” and “tone.”
The text below is taken directly from my complaint against the Eastman School of Music, submitted to the New York State Division of Human Rights under penalty of perjury. I filed the complaint after being illegally expelled from the school with no process, warning, or prior disciplinary action.
Paragraphs are numbered as they are in the original filing. Redactions are marked in brackets. Some pronouns may be changed for anonymity.
50. Varon was preoccupied with my previous studies with Mark Gibson at the University of Cincinnati, where I completed my master’s degree.
50.a Note: Before enrolling at Eastman, I had completed a master’s degree under Gibson, an experience which caused lasting professional harm…
Gibson and Varon were close professional contacts, and Varon repeatedly noted Gibson’s problematic history and widely known reputation for abuse. Even with that knowledge, he began referencing my history with Gibson as early as my audition.
51. At a rehearsal I was running, shortly after the beginning of the semester, Varon stopped me to say I was “Gibson impregnated.” He made this comment while I was conducting, with roughly sixty students present. I replied, “I hope not,” and moved on.
51.a Note: Despite the inappropriate nature of the remark, I did not report it immediately, preferring not to escalate.
51.b Note: It was not clear what, specifically, Varon intended to convey with the comment. However, he had become increasingly concerned —bordering on possessiveness—about “replacing” Gibson’s teaching, which he seemed to feel was “inside” me. I hadn’t worked with Gibson in years and no longer considered his approach relevant to my current practice
I later fielded extensive questioning by university investigators asking me to define, precisely, my interpretation of the word “impregnated” in this context.
52. [A graduate student] immediately renamed the studio group chat “Gibson impregnated” because he and others thought the comment was “iconic.”
53. Varon had been and continued making comments about Gibson like, “I need to get Gibson out of you.” His fixation became increasingly uncomfortable.
54. In one class session he became so hostile and erratic, including more comments about Gibson, that I ended my session—which typically lasted almost an hour—after fifteen minutes.
54.a Note: This occurred in the same required course as the “bullshit” incident. (See ¶30) It is also the course for which Varon later created a retroactive attendance policy.
55. The next morning—October 14, 2023—I had a long text from Gibson, communication initiated by Varon. It said he and Varon had “a long convo” about me at Varon's request the previous night. Varon told him that my audition to the program was “head and shoulders above the rest.” They discussed the fact that I was “challenging” but “worth the trouble.”
56. Gibson said I needed to “do what he tells you to do.” He also included a bizarre request that I include his own name in my bio. The message was unsolicited and unwanted.
56.a Note: I haven't had contact with Gibson in years, had deleted his number, and wasn't even sure who the text was from at first.
56.b Note: The university’s investigation later issued a document that Varon’s actions violated the university’s Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination and breached FERPA protections. The decision stood, even when appealed by the respondents.
56.c Note: Varon remains employed by the university, despite this formal finding of harassment and privacy violations. By contrast, the school later cited my alleged “failure to maintain appropriate communication boundaries” as grounds for expulsion without process. They offered no specifics or substantiation.
57. When I later informed the studio—over the same group chat named “Gibson Impregnated”—that the situation had escalated, there was no response and the chat name remained.
58. I then changed the name myself and added a friendly message to the group, assuring them that the situation was being addressed through the appropriate channels and there was no cause for concern.
59. No one responded. I eventually removed myself from the group chat entirely, directing the studio to communicate with me via university email.
59.a Note: I was classmates with [two graduate students] for one year, [another graduate student] for two. This incident occurred approximately six weeks into my first semester. None of them acknowledged the situation at any point in our respective tenures. The group’s response was total silence.
[1] The determination letter was sent to my University of Rochester email address. It is one of many records I lost when the school terminated my email access upon my abrupt expulsion. It should remain on file with the university’s Office of Equity and Inclusion.
(End of DHR Excerpt)