Feng "Franklin" Tao[4][5] (Chinese: 陶丰;[6][7] pinyin: Táo Fēng; born August 28, 1971) is a Chinese-born American chemical engineer who was a tenured associate professor at the University of Kansas.
[19] In 2019, the United States Department of Justice indicted Tao for 'failing to disclose conflict of interest with a Chinese university',[20] as the first case of its China Initiative.
[30] The judge also noted that Tao had published 16 papers and a book while working at home on unpaid administrative leave since being banned from KU's campus in 2019, saying that such a high level of productivity was indicative of his "continued value to society.
Tao is currently suing the university in a lawsuit filed in January 2025 stating that he was wrongfully and illegally terminated from his tenured position and that he seeks reparations and reinstatement.
The lawsuit alleges that the University of Kansas collaborated with the FBI to conduct illegal surveillance on Tao and violated a signed agreement on his employment status.