In a major shake-up that's making national news, Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced his resignation on Wednesday, following more than a semester of controversy about research studies he co-authored in the past 25 years.

Tessier-Lavigne was accused of scientific fraud and misconduct, and an independent review board examined a dozen studies he was a part of, per the Chronicle. The reviewers found no evidence he knowingly falsified data, but he was reportedly forced to retract three of the papers in question from 1999 and 2001, and correct two others from 2004 and 2009.

The reviewers’ report, also released Wednesday, said that each paper “has serious flaws in the presentation of research data,” with “apparent manipulation of research data by others in at least four of the five papers.” The panel, however, admitted it couldn’t access some witnesses with relevant information, as certain individuals refused to cooperate or remained anonymous.

Tessier-Lavigne said in a released statement, "Although the report clearly refutes the allegations of fraud and misconduct that were made against me, for the good of the university, I have made the decision to step down as President effective August 31."

To fill the void, Richard Saller, a classics professor of European studies, has been appointed as the interim president, as announced by Jerry Yang, the president of the Board of Trustees. Yang thanked Tessier-Lavigne for his seven years of dedicated service.

The contention began last year when Stanford’s student newspaper, the Stanford Daily, reported on questions raised about the integrity of studies co-authored by Tessier-Lavigne throughout his career as an academic and former executive at the biotech company Genentech. As the newspaper reported, ex-Genentech scientists claimed one of his 2009 Nature studies into the brain degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease contained falsified data. Reportedly, its findings could never be replicated, although the company continued to try to develop drugs based on the work until 2012.

Stanford University, one of the most prestigious in the country, has faced a laundry list of other controversies in recent years including concerns over safety, mental health, sexual misconduct, and even a wrongful death lawsuit.

Feature image via Unsplash/Y S.

Extremely disappointed @Microsoft and @Xbox hired women wearing these outfits to perform at @gdc. PLEASE RT. pic.twitter.com/JYFTTGdzQk

— Brianna Wu, Yeah! (@Spacekatgal) March 18, 2016

Microsoft had an archaic message for female gamers at this week's four-day 2016 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco—namely, TOGTFO. The tech mammoth made a reckless, albeit entrenched, move at Saturday's Xbox event wherein they featured women in barely-there costumes, dressed like prepubescent Catholic school girls, to greet their predominantly male partygoers. And not everyone was thrilled.

Several attendees took to Twitter to air their frustration. Most notably, Kamina Vincent posted a series of perfect tweets in response.

Vincent and others were quick not to place blame on the dancers, who were there to do a job. The fault here lies squarely with Microsoft, who planned the event. "[The dancers] introduced herself and asked if we were having fun," Vincent told The Huffington Post. "I asked what her role was at the party. She told me that they had been hired to speak with attendees and encourage them to the dance floor."

After receiving a rapid backlash, Microsoft went into spin control late Saturday. Xbox chief Phil Spencer sent an emil to The Verge, explaining that the GDC event in question "was not consistent or aligned to our values," and said Microsoft would do better in the future." His statement reads:

At Xbox-hosted events at GDC this past week, we represented Xbox and Microsoft in a way that was not consistent or aligned to our values. It was unequivocally wrong and will not be tolerated. I know we disappointed many people and I’m personally committed to holding ourselves to higher standards. We must ensure that diversity and inclusion are central to our everyday business and core values. We will do better in the future.

Oddly enough, that very same day Microsoft sponsored a Women in Games lunch.

As you should know, sexism in gaming is kind of a big deal right now. Women are underrepresented. The #gamergate movement's harassment of female gamers. Online gaming communities. Men dominating the game development arena. And on. And on.

After the Microsoft-Xbox fallout, Boing Boing's Xeni Jardin posed a wonderful question to Microsoft, asking, "What message should women take from fuckme schoolgirl dancers at your #GDC party?"

Microsoft has yet to respond to her.

The Travelodge on Market Street stands accused of racism against a few noted patrons, who are black, after a skirmish over credit cards and incidentals resulted in some pretty astounding behavior from the motel's manager. Allegedly. See, New Orleans funk band the Meters played at Brick and Mortor last week. After a sound check, the club's manager, Jason Perkins, and the band arrived at the hotel to check in. That's when things got ugly.

Via Boing Boing, Perkins reports on what went down:

"I bought 4 rooms for the band and prepaid for them on debit card. After sound check, Leo and the band went to the hotel and tried to check in. The manager refused to accept 3 of 4 members credit cards for incidentals (4th member is Rich Vogel/white dude). Leo called me and (my family and I) drove to the hotel at 7:30 pm. I asked what the hell and manager pointed at 3 members and said he wouldn't accept credit cards and "those people" need to pay cash deposit. When I asked what did he mean by "those people" - he pointed at Leo and said "black people."

This isn't the first time that the Valencia Street motel has been accused of racism. East Bay Express has more:

Perkins told us he argued with the manager through a hole in a plastic window, pressing him as to why he would not even let the band into the lobby. The manager told Perkins the hotel "didn't take credit cards from those people," finally admitting that by "those people" he meant "black people."

When Perkins called the police to the scene, they said this was not the first time they'd had similar complaints about that Travelodge. The police tried to negotiate a full refund for Perkins, which the hotel denied him.

Gross.

However, according to the hotel manager, who goes by the name of "Mr. Matthew," he was merely upset over credit cards that allegedly had insufficient funds. Examiner. com reports:

Travelodge Central manager who identified himself only as Matthew W., claims hotel policy is to deny access to those whose credit cards reflect insufficient funds. When asked if Mr. Nocentelli’s credit card had been run through for a credit check, Mr. W. responded, “there are cameras in the hotel.” Mr. W. then stated he was being harassed and hung up the phone.

A post on the New Parish's Facebook page -- a club that, coincidentally, fell victim to a similar controversy twice before -- where the band also performed this past weekend, has led to hundreds of comments and calls and emails to Travelodge corporate. (The Travelodge in question, we should point out, is independently owned and operated.)

SFMOMA director Neal Benezra, long a fan of Bay Area sculptor Robert Arneson, has spent a decade chasing after a bust of slain mayor George Moscone which the city commissioned from Arneson but ultimately rejected because of what he put on the pedestal. The bust stands eight feet tall — a beaming, outsize head of Moscone sitting atop a tall concrete column — and it's a good likeness of the man, but in 1981, then mayor Dianne Feinstein asked the Arts Commission to give back the money they'd paid to Arneson unless he agreed to change the graffiti'd pedestal, which refers not only to Moscone's assassin, Dan White, but also the "Twinkie defense" and features smears of red that look like blood.

Though it was Arneson's intent to be a "realist" in presenting Moscone this way, it was the epitome of "too soon!" and Moscone's family members saw it as an outright attack. Arneson refused to change the pedestal and the city rejected the piece, but it has remained a valuable work of art in part because of the connection to one of San Francisco's most traumatic events. Arneson wanted to invoke sculptures of ancient Roman senators and other figures where sculptors would inscribe the pedestals with words, but Christopher Moscone, son of George who was 16 at the time of his assassination, still sees the piece as provocative and "demeaning," and "not appropriate for public art." Arneson passed away from cancer in 1992, and the sculpture changed hands several times, but as the Chron reports, the SFMOMA finally got its hands on it recently for the permanent collection. As of today, it's standing in its own alcove among other Bay Area art at the museum, and Benezra says, at long last, "It had to be here."

[Chron]

We received an angry letter from an even angrier Prince fan today. (Yes, they still exist.) He or she says to SFist, "I think you're a real creep to print something like that. How would you like it if someone did that to you?" (To answer that question: we probably have it coming.) So,we went back and looked over our "Price Hates Gays" post, and now feel compelled to tell your the truthiness. Prince, it seems, was misquoted regarding his homophobic statements. Allegedly. "We're very angry he was misquoted," says our Prince insider. SFist regret the error. Because a celebrity's PR team holds more truth than a New Yorker journalist.

The smurf who made a name for himself wearing ass-less yellow pants; penning such anthems as Cream, Sexy Motherfucker, Darling Nikki; and having an ouvre based on where he shoots his DNA loads, Prince, it seems, isn't down with the ungodly homosexual lifestyle.

When asked about his perspective on social issues—gay marriage, abortion—Prince tapped his Bible and said, "God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.' "

Controversy, indeed.