OHIO UNIVERSITY Professor is asked to step down

Larry Nighswander is accused of harassment by a topless-photo model.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- A professor whose photographic session with a topless female student resulted in a sexual harassment lawsuit has been asked to resign or be fired, an Ohio University official said.
The university told Larry Nighswander that it will not pay his legal fees or other costs arising from a $3 million lawsuit filed last year by a student, said John Burns, the university's director of legal affairs.
A telephone message was left Friday for Burns.
Burns told The Plain Dealer that after discovering other situations "that are pretty problematic," the university asked the professor to resign. The other situations were not specified. OU spokesman Jack Jeffrey said Friday he could not discuss any details. He said the university might try to remove Nighswander's tenure.
"Right now the university is reviewing his status for next year," Jeffrey said.
Nighswander had been director of the university's School of Visual Communication until he was demoted to a regular faculty position a year ago.
A message for Nighswander was left at his home Friday. A voice recording at his office Friday said he is on a faculty fellowship leave to work on a book and is expected back in September.
Reason for photos
Nighswander has acknowledged using students as models but denied any inappropriate or unethical behavior. He has said the student photos were intended for class use to demonstrate lighting techniques.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of student Rebecca Humes, accuses Nighswander of touching her breast and making inappropriate comments while she posed topless.
Columbus lawyer Benson Wolman, who represents Nighswander, said Friday that Nighswander "is examining the procedural options before him." Wolman said the process of removing tenure from a professor involves a hearing before a third of the faculty senate.
In March 2003, the university cleared Nighswander in an internal investigation of Humes' sexual-harassment complaint. Her lawsuit, which includes the university as a defendant, was filed the following month in U.S. District Court in Columbus.