University of Michigan fires music professor over sexual harassment accusations

• A female student accused Scott Piper of sexual harassment last year.
• The student-run Michigan Daily was the first to report the allegations.

The University of Michigan has fired an associate professor of music for violating sexual harassment policies that were first reported by student journalists at The Michigan Daily.

The school's Board of Regents voted unanimously Thursday, July 17, to dismiss Scott Piper, an operatic tenor who taught voice in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Interim President Domenic Grasso recommended the firing in a memo to the board.

"For the reasons contained in the record, I have determined that Professor Piper’s conduct substantially impairs the fulfillment of his responsibilities as a tenured faculty member at the University of Michigan and therefore constitutes cause for dismissal," Grasso wrote.

The Free Press sent an email message seeking comment to Piper.

Piper's faculty page on the school website said he earned his master's and his doctoral degrees at U-M.

"As the Norma L. Heyde Associate Professor of Music in Voice, Piper maintains a selective studio of undergraduate and graduate voice students in classical voice, contemporary singing, and musical theatre," the biography says. "His private studio at the University of Michigan draws students who are equally committed to exploring their deepest holistic potential and building bridges through the arts to their global community." 

According to reporting from The Michigan Daily, the Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX office launched an investigation into Piper in May 2024 after a female student complained about him. The investigation found she had reported four incidents of sexual harassment against him including inappropriate physical contact, inappropriate comments and expressing a romantic interest in her, according to The Michigan Daily.

Piper is the third music faculty member in recent years to be accused of sexual harassment.

In 2020, the school fired acclaimed countertenor David Daniels after he was accused of sexually harassing more than 20 students. In an unrelated case, Daniels later pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting another singer in Houston.

In 2019, Stephen Shipps, a violin teacher, resigned abruptly after The Michigan Daily reported allegations of sexual harassment against him dating back years. In 2021, Shipps was charged with transporting a minor girl across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual conduct.

He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Contact John Wisely: [email protected]. On X: @jwisely