Joshua Wolf Shenk, the former director of the Black Mountain Institute and editor in chief of Believer magazine, was the subject of multiple inappropriate behavior complaints at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas since 2015—all before he flashed his genitals on a Zoom call last year. The Los Angeles Times spoke to more than 20 people at the university, with some alleging he provided unwanted touches or made inappropriate comments. Shenk, a prominent essayist and arts figure, denied the allegations to the outlet, saying he was hired by the university with the goal of transforming the institute, and those who attacked him just opposed his vision. Others offered a different perspective: Shenk was a socially awkward auteur who suffered from autism. The university declined to comment.