Director of KSU LGBT group announces resignation over lack of support from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

Molly Merryman, sociology professor and co-founder of the LGBT Studies program, resigned as director of LGBT Studies in an open letter to the university on Friday, April 17.

Merryman said in her letter that the university is not funding the LGBT Program and is resigning in protest against university administration.

Although she was unavailable to for interview on Monday, she said in an email, “I think the letter is comment enough.”

Brandon Stephens, president of PRIDE! Kent, called Merryman a “trailblazer” in the LGBT community. The LGBT Studies Program at Kent State was the first in the state of Ohio.

“I cannot continue to be part of an academic program that is not fulfilling its pedagogical and scholarly goals because it lacks support from its university,” Merryman said in her letter.

Contact Ian Klein at [email protected].