Innocence Project Founder Protess Takes Leave of Absence from NU

By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 29, 2011 8:30PM

David Protess, founder of the Innocence Project at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, announced he'll be taking an indefinite leave of absence from NU. If hindsight was 20/20, a blind man should have seen this coming once news broke last week that Protess was pulled from teaching classes at NU this spring while the university continues its investigation into whether Protess violated ethics with the Innocence Project.

Protess said he'll use the leave of absence to establish a non-profit "Chicago Innocence Project" independent of any university, and, we suspect, independent of any ethics investigations from any university. Protess told the Tribune the leave of absence is indefinite, depending on how quickly he can establish the Chicago Innocence Project and if NU will have him back. The university released a statement this morning that said Protess will have "no faculty responsibilities, including teaching or serving as Director of the Medill Innocence Project." That doesn't read as though NU wants Protess back anytime soon and that it's all over but the shouting between the two.