IU Advocacy Groups Demand Removal of Trustee Sage Steele Over Post

Two Indiana University advocacy groups are calling for the removal of IU Board of Trustee Sage Steele after she posted a violent comment on social media targeting Dr. Anthony Fauci, former chief medical advisor to the President.

We The Hoosiers announced it has joined Concerned Scientists at Indiana University Bloomington in demanding Steele's ouster. Steele made a post on X on Aug. 10 asking for permission to waterboard Fauci while hanging him upside down by his toes.

Concerned Scientists at IUB initially submitted a letter to IU's Chief Compliance Officer and Gov. Mike Braun, arguing that Steele breached the university's Principles of Ethical Conduct. The group, which comprises over 1,000 faculty members, staff, students, and community residents, emphasized that the conduct policy explicitly applies to the Board of Trustees.

"Steele’s comments fly in the face of IU’s ostensible commitment to maintaining civil discourse on campus, and intolerance for threats of violence,"

We The Hoosiers wrote in a press release.

The organization, composed of alumni, current and former faculty, staff, and students, noted that the trustee's actions damage the university's standing in the academic community.

"In targeting Dr. Fauci, Steele also tarnishes IU’s reputation as an institution that values and promotes scientific inquiry."

Steele was appointed to the board by Gov. Braun in June 2025 following state budget legislation that granted the governor direct authority to appoint and remove trustees. Prior to her appointment, she worked as a television broadcaster for outlets including ESPN.

Steven Vigdor, an IU professor emeritus of physics and steering committee member of Concerned Scientists, highlighted what the group views as an administrative double standard regarding speech policies. He referenced a past incident where an adjunct law professor faced political backlash and calls for termination over a prank post regarding a U.S. senator.

"If an IU faculty member made a comment as threatening as Ms. Steele’s tweet in class, whether jokingly or not, they would be subject to suspension, possible loss of tenure, or firing,"

the advocacy group wrote in its letter, pointing out that no such accountability has been applied to Steele.

Vigdor expressed concern over the message the university's silence sends to faculty members and potential recruits who expect institutional policies to be enforced equally across all levels of leadership.

"There is a danger, I think, of the Board of Trustees sending a very decided message about a double standard,"

Vigdor said.

"If faculty members are now being held responsible for behavior that the administration or that students or parents find objectionable, but board members are not held to the same standard, and the IU Principles of Ethical Conduct explicitly state that they are intended to apply to members of the board of trustees, and the specific elements of those principles of ethical conduct that we included in the statement seem to us to be quite clearly violated by Ms. Steele's tweet."

Vigdor added that the ongoing controversy could deter top scientific talent and prospective students from choosing the university.

"When I applied to IU, I had four offers from very good places like Stanford University,"

he said.

"I accepted the IU position because I thought it was the best fit for me, and that calculation would be completely altered by such a statement by a Board of Trustee member."

Under the board's internal bylaws, alleged violations of the trustee code of conduct are reviewed by the board chair and vice chair, who may confidentially notify the governor to determine appropriate consequences. Neither Steele nor the Board of Trustees has responded to requests for comment.