By Kalena Reynolds | Arts & Life Editor
Vice President and Provost Nancy Brickhouse determined March 6 that Kevin Sanders, dean of the school of music, would step down after a vote of no confidence was conducted within the faculty of the school of music.
According to a professor in the school of music who spoke to The Lariat on the condition of anonymity, the decision follows several alleged Title IX allegations from faculty regarding sexual harassment and discrimination. These allegations were first reported by Slippedisc.com.
“Kevin Sanders returned to the faculty on March 6 after coming to Baylor in July 2024 as Dean of the Baylor School of Music,” a statement from the university reads. “As with most personnel issues, we are unable to confirm if an individual is part of an investigation or the details surrounding any report. Our commitment has been – and always will be – to provide a safe and caring community for our students, faculty, staff and guests.”
On March 3, an anonymous vote of confidence/no confidence was conducted via email among the full-time faculty in the school of music. One faculty member voted in confidence, 33 voted in no confidence, four abstained and 30 declined to participate.
Dr. Michael Alexander, professor of music education, elaborated in an email sent to full-time faculty obtained by The Lariat.
“I will not interpret the results beyond stating that more than half of the full-time faculty participate and 86.8% of those voted: ‘I have no confidence in Kevin Sanders’ ability to serve as Dean of the Baylor School of Music and want him removed as Dean,” Alexander wrote.
On March 18, Interim Dean Randall Bradley held a meeting updating the school of music student body on Sanders.
“Dr. Sanders was not involved in indiscretions; he was not involved in any sort of wrongdoing,” Bradley said in an audio recording of the meeting provided to The Lariat. “There are no secret stories; there is nothing out there that you need to dig for. If you have heard anything, I would like to be the first to say that that’s not true. You need to know he’s a person of high moral character, and none of that’s compromised. These were internal differences — that’s what I can say to you, and I’m not just saying that to you, that’s true.”
An additional anonymous professor in the music school told The Lariat that Sanders allegedly has nine Title IX allegations against him. The filings were related to both sexual harassment with a hostile environment and discrimination based on sex, according to the professor.
“Seven female faculty and staff were either removed or resigned from their positions in a period of less than a year,” the professor stated via email.
Dallas senior Garrett Woodbury served on the Dean’s Council his junior year, which was Sanders’ first year serving as dean. Woodbury said following the removal of Sanders, confusion and uncertainty have circulated through the student body.
“Many of us have heard one thing from the current administration, i.e., Dr. Bradley … But are also hearing things from either other students or professors that, whether or not they are true, they conflict,” Woodbury said. “There’s a lot of ‘we don’t know what’s going on,’ but we can tell that it’s something big.”
Sanders was appointed dean July 1, 2024. According to a professor in the school of music, Sanders will take a paid one-year sabbatical during the upcoming year and rejoin the faculty in the 2027-28 academic year.
