The Iowa State lecturer arrested for public intoxication while giving a lecture last November has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, according to court records.

Iowa State police arrested Gordon Knight, 56, for public intoxication after receiving an anonymous call that he was slurring his words during class at 10:20 a.m., according to Police Chief Michael Newton. 

Knight has been charged with a simple misdemeanor, first-offense public intoxication. He had been originally charged with second-offense public intoxication which is a serious misdemeanor.

Rob Schweers, a spokesperson for Iowa State, confirmed in December that there was a current misconduct investigation underway about Knight’s actions.

Schweers also added that Knight is not allowed on campus during the investigation. He said that this is common with these types of incidents and the rules for faculty are clearly laid out in the Faculty Handbook.

The Des Moines Register reported that Knight is no longer an employee of the university. Sheryl Rippke, Iowa State’s public records officer, told the Register in an email that “discharged or demoted as a result of disciplinary action” and did not “resign in lieu of termination.”

Knight, a lecturer in philosophy and religious studies, had one other public intoxication offense which he pleaded guilty to. This was his third alcohol-related offense in a 13-month period. 

“Folks were concerned about his behaviors. In the classroom, he was slurring his speech and was stumbling, so they were concerned about his welfare. So we were asked to do a welfare check on him and found that he was actually intoxicated,” Newton said.

Newton has been at Iowa State for under a year, but said officers at the station could not recall another time Iowa State faculty or staff were arrested during work hours. 

Provost Jonathon Wickert sent out a statement regarding the arrest: 

“We are aware of the incident that occurred this morning with an instructor in a Philosophy and Religious Studies class,” the emailed statement read. “The behavior in question, if confirmed, is highly unprofessional and inappropriate, and does not reflect the high standard of ethical conduct to which all Iowa State faculty should be held.”

“We will be working closely with the Department of Public Safety, as well as the academic department and college, to gather the relevant facts and determine what additional disciplinary actions may be necessary.”

The Iowa State University Faculty Handbook says that the “Other policies faculty must comply with all university policies, including but not limited to: Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace….” in Section 7.2.2.5.13.

Section 8.4.3.1 states “All employees are expected and required to report to work in an appropriate mental and physical condition to carry out their responsibilities safely and effectively, absent any impairment because of use of controlled substances or alcohol.”

Possible repercussions for failure by a faculty member to comply with alcohol violations may result in “…serious disciplinary sanctions, up to and including the termination of an individual’s employment. In cases in which the university has probable cause to believe an employee’s ability to perform duties is impaired due to the use of alcohol or controlled substances, the employee will be confronted and required to undergo testing and/or treatment.”