Florida State University professor leaves $190K job after accusations of faking data on racism

Eric Stewart, a criminology professor at Florida State University, left his position suddenly amid a multi-year investigation into his alleged academic fraud. 

Stewart had six research studies retracted throughout the investigation after it was alleged that he misrepresented data to exaggerate how prevalent racism is in American society.

In one paper, Stewart, who made $190,000 per year at Florida State, falsely claimed there was a correlation between a criminal’s race and the public’s desire to see harsher prison sentences for said criminal. However, an investigation revealed there was no correlation and that the sample size had been increased to yield Stewart’s desired outcome.

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Tallahassee Florida FSU college entrance to school with arch and brick campus.  ((Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images))

Prior to his abrupt exit, which was first reported by the Florida Standard, Stewart had been at Florida State University for sixteen years. 

The professor who first exposed him for his misconduct, Justin Pickett, teaches criminology at University of Albany. He co-authored a paper with Stewart in 2011.

Pickett alleges the problem of data manipulation is widespread in academia. 

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“There’s a huge monetary incentive to falsify data and there’s no accountability. If you do this, the probability you’ll get caught is so, so low,’ he told The Florida Standard.

Stewart holds a Ph.D in sociology from Iowa State University.

Protestors gather in Washington Square Park in New York April 12, 2021 during a protest after a suburban Minneapolis police officer fatally shot 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop.(Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

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Florida State University did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.