Former Marietta College President William Ruud has filed a lawsuit alleging he was targeted by a faculty member with false allegations of misconduct while the college did nothing to stop it. (File Photo)

MARIETTA – A former Marietta College president has filed a lawsuit alleging he was targeted by a faculty member with false allegations of misconduct while the college did nothing to stop it.

Former Marietta College President William Ruud, via attorney Fred M. Bean, filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court Southern District of Ohio Eastern Division on Feb. 20 against Marietta College and Alexandra Perry, alleging Perry harassed him, and claiming she tried to undermine his professional standing during his time at Marietta College and beyond as he sought other employment after leaving the college, which resulting in him having a job offer in Montana rescinded.

The lawsuit documents said Ruud served as the president of Marietta College for around seven years between 2016 and 2023, with his employment agreement as president extended twice. The documents also stated Perry was the dean of the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business, starting in 2019. A college spokesperson said Wednesday Perry was no longer employed at the college.

Around November 2021, there were plans to merge the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business with the Department of Business and Economics and hire one dean to oversee both departments for economies of scale, the lawsuit said. The move was initially opposed by the acting dean of the McDonough Center at the time, Gama Perrucci who passed away in 2021. The lawsuit said Perry also opposed the merger.

Later, in or around March 2022, Perry, along with other aligned faculty, signed a resolution on a vote of no confidence against Ruud. In April 2022, a formal vote was held regarding the resolution for vote of no confidence and the resolution failed, the lawsuit said.

Around July 2022, Perry became the interim dean of the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business.

The lawsuit alleges after being appointed interim dean, Perry escalated her campaign of accusing Ruud of various faults and wrongdoing, including alleged discrimination against women.

The lawsuit said Marietta College dismissed Perry’s complaint, with or without investigation.

The lawsuit alleges Perry made statements and allegations about Ruud at faculty meetings, and attempted to create documented minutes from those meetings capturing her false and fraudulent statements.

“During this same period of time, Perry began making false statements about alleged face-to-face interactions with Ruud, alluding to conversations and meetings that never happened,” the lawsuit alleges.

By December 2022, Perry began making statements to other faculty that she was “afraid to work late” because she thought Ruud might come to her office and insinuated that other female employees should feel the same way, the lawsuit said.

“In reality, Ruud had no such interactions with Perry, including in her office,” the lawsuit said. “Perry’s allegations were fabricated, a pattern of distorted conduct she continued to exhibit for the next several years towards Ruud.

“Upon information and belief, Marietta College hired an independent agency to conduct an investigation into Perry’s complaint against Ruud, an investigation which resulted in no findings of discrimination or any misconduct of any kind by Ruud.”

Around Feb. 22, 2023, Ruud tendered his resignation with Marietta College, to be effective on June 30, 2023. He left the area and moved to Eagle, Idaho, around 2,100 miles from Marietta.

“In leaving Marietta College, Ruud assumed he would never hear from Perry again,” the lawsuit said.

He began looking for other employment as a college president or executive. On Dec. 20, 2024, Ruud received a letter that Marietta College had issued a no contact order against him, and in favor of Perry. The lawsuit said Ruud was not informed of this prior to receiving the letter and that no proof was provided that Ruud had tried to contact her that would substantiate such an order.

“In that same 18-month period, Ruud had never once visited or came back to Marietta College,” the lawsuit said. “In that same 18-month period, Ruud had never spoken to or communicated with Perry in any fashion.”

The lawsuit said in April 2025 Ruud had found a president’s position at Carroll College in Helena, Mont., which he was slated to begin July 1, 2025. On May 2, 2025, Marietta College executed and issued a written “indefinite” no trespass order against Ruud.

Separately, on May 2, 2025, the day after Ruud’s presidency announcement, someone (Perry or someone on her behalf) began making anonymous posts to Carroll College’s “online reporting form,” according to the lawsuit.

These posts stated officials with Carroll College needed to contact the Marietta College Police Department and the college’s Title IX office “to ask about the new president.” Other posts said Ruud was not a Christian man or leader, was deceitful and called him a “con man and an abuser.” The lawsuit said a number of posts included confidential information from closed door meetings that was not made public.

The lawsuit said Ruud had been in contact with officials with Marietta College to see if something could be done to stop these posts. In Ruud’s separation agreement with Marietta College, both parties agreed to a mutual non-disparagement clause that applied to the college and its employees, among other parties.

The lawsuit said Ruud tried a number of times to get Marietta College officials to act, but was told “there was no action that Marietta College could (or was willing to) take to investigate one of its own employees, Perry,” the lawsuit states.

He also tried law-enforcement here and out west as well as actions through the courts with no significant relief.

“…on June 18, 2025, Ruud received word that Carroll College was terminating or rescinding his contract to be the college’s next president,” the lawsuit stated. “Perry’s ongoing campaign to interfere with and destroy Ruud’s employment relationship with Carroll College successfully resulted in him losing his presidency position, causing him significant damages.”

The lawsuit alleges Marietta College’s refusal to investigate the claims against Ruud and Ruud’s own concerns showed a complete indifference to Ruud’s situation.

The lawsuit alleges Perry continued on and convinced OhioHealth Corporation to issue a criminal trespass warning and cease and desist letter to Ruud in August 2025 using the original December 2024 no contact order from Marietta College as a basis.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department reported that on Aug. 13, 2025, detectives served a search warrant at Perry’s home in Marietta. Perry had reported ongoing issues with an acquaintance calling and following her. Perry had also reported this to other agencies that she believed she was followed utilizing an Apple Air Tag.

After obtaining the property, which was located on Perry’s vehicle, however it was not currently registered or paired with any devices, the sheriff’s department reported. It was also determined that the Apple Air Tag was registered in 2021-2022 to Perry. Perry provided photographs of a license plate believed to be of the subject following her, parked outside her residence. After conducting the investigation into this vehicle, it was determined that the actual license plate on the subject’s vehicle does not match the photograph provided by Perry, other than the numbers on the plate, the sheriff’s department reported.

Perry was charged with tampering with evidence, a 3rd degree felony, and falsification, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Perry was indicted in August 2025 on two counts of tampering with evidence, third-degree felonies; and falsification, a first-degree misdemeanor, from June 13.

On Wednesday, a clerk in the Washington County Common Pleas Court said Perry pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and falsification and was sentenced Jan. 20 to three days in jail and was given three days credit as well as two years of community control.

In Ruud’s lawsuit, it is alleged Perry’s arrest was a result of her false attempts to accuse him of conduct that never occurred. The lawsuit said “Perry fabricated that Ruud placed an Apple Air Tag on her car and had been tracking and following her in Ohio.”

The lawsuit said Ruud provided evidence showing he was never in Ohio during this time.

The lawsuit alleges Marietta College interfered with Ruud’s employment relationship with Carroll College due to its actions in this matter and refusing to take any action against Perry’s conduct.

The lawsuit also alleges charges of breach of contract, negligent retention and supervision and post-employment retaliation against Marietta College as well as post-employment retaliation against all the defendants.

The lawsuit also alleges charges of defamation, civil action for criminal acts, false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Perry.

Ruud is demanding an award against each defendant of compensatory and monetary damages to compensate Ruud for lost income, lost benefits, lost compensation, emotional distress, reputation damages, loss of employment and other consequential damages, in an amount in excess of $25,000 per claim to be proven at trial.

He is also seeking an award of punitive damages against each defendant in an amount in excess of $25,000 and an award of reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs for Ruud’s claims as allowed by law and any other relief the court can allow.

The spokesperson for Marietta College said they could not comment on pending litigation.

Bean said he could not comment further than what was already listed in the complaint.

A message was left at a phone number listed for Perry, but there has not yet been a response.