Via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, this development on September 2: (article by Monica Obradovic)
Washington University chemistry professor charged with assault is now suing the university, claiming "anti-male bias" led to a slanted investigation into his conduct, national shame and the loss of his teaching privileges.
Jonathan Barnes, in the lawsuit filed Tuesday, said he wrongfully was accused of sexually harassing several female students in 2024 and complained the university handled the students' complaints in a biased manner.
The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a two-year saga on the allegations against Barnes, which began with an anonymous accusation posted online. In October 2024, posts on Sidechat, a messaging app for college students, accused Barnes of misconduct. The following month, an Instagram account called @metoo_WashU accused Barnes of grooming and inappropriately touching female students.
Barnes sued the creator of the account in June 2025, after its posts led to news coverage in WashU's student newspaper and national higher education news site Inside Higher Ed. The lawsuit is scheduled for a jury trial in November.
Four months after Barnes filed the lawsuit, St. Louis County prosecutors filed three fourth-degree misdemeanor assault charges against the professor after at least two of his former students spoke with police. The case still is pending and a hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15.
Full article here. No updates as to the hearing for the assault charges.
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