Villanova Law Dean Resigns; Name Surfaces in Prostitution Probe
Villanova law dean Mark Sargent, who abruptly resigned last week, had been identified in a police report as a prostitution customer, according to a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sargent and another customer provided information to police after a raid of the prostitution business, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports in a story that relies on police records of the case. As a result of their help, the man behind the enterprise later pleaded no contest to promoting prostitution and conspiracy, according to the story.
Sargent was Villanova dean since 1987 and had written a 2004 law review article called “Lawyers in the Moral Maze,” which focused on why corporate lawyers engage in behavior that violates their own ethics. An announcement of his resignation posted on Above the Law cited personal and medical reasons for stepping down. He did not respond to the Inquirer’s request for comment.
The police report alleges Sargent paid $170 for 35 minutes of sexual contact on Nov. 25, the day of the police raid, the Inquirer story says. He told police he had seen an ad on Craigslist, got curious, and responded to it, the report said. Sargent was not charged in the case.
Hat tip to Above the Law and TaxProf Blog.
