MIT and Pulitzer Prize Board Open Investigations on Author Junot Díaz

The Pulitzer Prize board has opened an investigation on author Junot Díaz after accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple women.

May 13, 2018

Junot Diaz was photographed at his MIT office — Image via Getty/Boston Globe
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The Pulitzer Prize board has opened an investigation on author Junot Díaz after accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple women, the group announced on Thursday. Díaz has also stepped down from his position as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize board, reports HuffPost. The writer will, however, remain on the Pulitzer board, where he has been a member since 2010.

The group said in a statement, "The Pulitzer Prize Board has authorized an independent review of allegations of misconduct against one of its members. Mr. Díaz said he welcomed the review and would cooperate fully with it."

Díaz's role as chairman has been short-lived. The writer was just awarded the position based on seniority a month ago. The Pulitzer board's previous chairman, Eugene Robinson, will take over the role again on an interim basis.

An investigation on Díaz has also been opened at MIT where he is a professor, reports The Associated Press.

During Sydney Writers Festival in Australia, accusations of misconduct against Díaz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, came out. Following the event, several more women wrote about their experiences of misconduct with Díaz on social media. Author Zinzi Clemmons was among these women and she tweeted that Díaz kissed her by force several years ago.

At the Sydney Writers Festival, Clemmons asked Díaz during a Q&A session about his recent New Yorker essay that detailed sexual assault he experienced when he was eight-years-old. Clemmons proceeded to ask him why he treated her the same way and later elaborated her alleged experience on Twitter.