Ohio State President Ted Carter Resigns Over Inappropriate Relationship With Krisanthe Vlachos
Ohio State University lost its president on Monday, March 9, when Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. resigned after disclosing to the university's Board of Trustees that he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman who was simultaneously seeking public resources to support her private business. The resignation was confirmed by the university within hours and sent shockwaves across one of America's largest campuses.
Ted Carter's Resignation Statement: "I Made a Mistake"
Carter, 66, said in a public statement: "For personal reasons, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my role as president of The Ohio State University. I disclosed to the board of trustees that I made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership."
The Ohio State University Board of Trustees issued a formal statement confirming it had accepted President Walter "Ted" Carter Jr.'s resignation, noting that he had recently disclosed to trustees that he had an inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources to support her personal business.
Carter said he was leaving with his wife, Lynda. He expressed regret at the circumstances of his departure while also noting progress during his tenure: "I believe we have made much progress during my time at Ohio State, and I'm sorry I'm not able to remain your president longer."
Who Is Krisanthe Vlachos: The Woman at the Center of the Scandal
More than six independent sources identified the woman in the inappropriate relationship as Krisanthe Vlachos, host of The Callout Podcast, which bills itself as connecting military and veterans to the future of energy and utilities using artificial intelligence.
Vlachos contracted with Ohio State's own public broadcasting station WOSU to record the podcast at its studios. She is also the owner of VETERNUSALLC, a company that incorporated in December 2025 and listed Ohio State-owned WOSU as its headquarters address.
WOSU has reached out to Vlachos for comment. She has not responded publicly as of Tuesday morning ET. Her LinkedIn profile has been updated to remove her Facebook photo since the story broke.
Ted Carter's Ohio State Tenure: Less Than 27 Months as President
Carter was Ohio State's 17th president, appointed by the Board of Trustees on August 22, 2023, and officially taking over duties on January 1, 2024. He served just over 26 months before resigning.
Ohio State is the nation's sixth-largest university, with more than 60,000 students, over 600,000 living alumni, and a fiscal year 2026 budget totaling $11.5 billion in revenues and $10.9 billion in expenditures. Carter previously served as president of the University of Nebraska system from 2020 to 2023 and as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, holding the national record for carrier-arrested landings with over 2,000 mishap-free touchdowns.
Carter's tenure was marked by the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion programs mandated by the Ohio Legislature under Senate Bill 1, and the establishment of the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society — created by the Ohio General Assembly to combat perceived liberal bias on college campuses.
Ohio State Now Faces Its Second Presidential Vacancy in Four Years
Carter filled a vacancy left by the mid-contract resignation of President Kristina Johnson, which went largely unexplained. Johnson had been chancellor of New York's public university system before joining Ohio State as president in 2020. Ohio State now faces its second unexpected presidential departure in four years.
Professor Judson Jeffries of African American and African Studies said Monday: "I didn't see him standing up for those whose job responsibilities and whose charges involved diversity, equity and inclusion." Jeffries added that students had expressed concerns about top-down leadership and how the university handled student dissent during Carter's tenure.
The Ohio State Board of Trustees has not yet named an interim president as of Tuesday morning ET.
