Monty Cook, the journalism school’s inaugural executive producer of the Reese Felts Digital News Project, resigned Tuesday amid allegations of “inappropriate behavior” with a reesenews.org student employee.
Cook, 46, was placed on a two-week leave after he reported sending sexually explicit text messages to the student, wrote Jean Folkerts, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, in a letter to Cook on Monday.
“I also told him on Monday that I intended to recommend that his position be terminated,” Folkerts said in an interview.
“The student was put in a position she should not have been placed in,” she added.
Cook resigned Tuesday before Folkerts’ recommendation was sent to Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bruce Carney.
“Due to developments in my personal life, I will be unable to serve the School of Journalism and Mass Communication any longer,” he wrote in his resignation letter. Repeated efforts to reach Cook at his home Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Folkerts said she learned of the relationship Friday and speculated that it lasted “a couple weeks.” A Friday Department of Public Safety incident report shows a “suspicious condition” at Carroll Hall that day involving Cook, a male Duke University student and the female UNC student. A Duke professor is listed as having reported the incident.
The Duke student and professor both declined to comment Wednesday. The woman did not respond to an interview request.
Folkerts met with the woman Sunday afternoon and was shown explicit electronic messages indicating Cook initiated the relationship, according to her Monday letter. The University prohibits “amorous relationships” between students and faculty or staff who evaluate or supervise them.
