Will Dana, the managing editor who oversaw Rolling Stone’s debunked rape article, is stepping down from the magazine next week.
“After 19 years at Rolling Stone, I have decided that it is time to move on,” Mr. Dana said in a statement provided to The New York Times. “It has been a great ride and I loved it even more than I imagined I would. I am as excited to see where the magazine goes next as I was in the summer of 1978 when I bought my first issue.”
Mr. Dana, whose planned last day is Aug. 7, is not leaving for another job, and his successor has not been named, The Times reported.
Rolling Stone’s now-retracted article, written by Sabrina Rubin Erdely, reported that a brutal gang rape occurred in 2012 at a fraternity party at the University of Virginia. The story relied primarily on a single anonymous source, named Jackie.
Investigators weren’t able to find evidence that the rape occurred, and a review by Columbia Journalism School professors found that Rolling Stone’s journalistic failures were sweeping.
Rolling Stone officially retracted the story upon the review’s publication and apologized, but Publisher Jann S. Wenner did not fire anyone during the fallout.
SEE ALSO: Rolling Stone University of Virginia rape story sparks lawsuit from fraternity brothers
When asked if Mr. Dana’s departure was linked to the debunked article, Mr. Wenner, said, via a spokeswoman, that “many factors go into a decision like this,” The Times reported.
On Wednesday, three members of the UVA Phi Kappa Psi fraternity that was cited in the story sued Rolling Stone. They are seeking unspecified damages for defamation.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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