MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Mark Rosenberg, who abruptly resigned as the president of Florida International University on Friday, acknowledged that he stepped down because “I caused discomfort for a valued employee.”
“I unintentionally created emotional (not physical) entanglement,” Rosenberg said in a statement released publicly Sunday morning.
CBS4 has learned that Rosenberg’s resignation followed a complaint filed against him alleging sexual harassment, according to a source briefed on the matter.
“There is an internal massive investigation into this,” said the source. “At a minimum there are text messages and other forms of communication.”
After the initial complaint against Rosenberg was filed, a preliminary investigation was conducted. The source said the woman, who did not file the initial complaint, was reluctant to cooperate. She eventually hired an attorney and met with university officials last week corroborating the allegations against Rosenberg. The university employee is in her 20s. Rosenberg is 72.
“It was not a consensual relationship,” said the source. “It was harassment.”
Following the preliminary investigation, the source said, Dean Colson, the chair of the FIU Board of Trustees, confronted Rosenberg and told him he could either resign or he would take the matter to the Trustees and have him fired. Rosenberg chose to resign.
“He resigned in lieu of termination,” said the official. “Mark Rosenberg is not at the university because of his own doing.”
In the statement Rosenberg released Sunday he said he been seeking mental health counseling because of the stress over his wife’s failing health. He wrote that his wife of 47 years is diabetic, confined to wheelchair and suffering from dementia.
“Regrettably, these issues spilled over to my work, and I caused discomfort for a valued colleague,” he wrote. “I have apologized. I apologize to you. I take full responsibility. And regret my actions.”