Yeah, this is one of those situations I have mixed feelings on. On the one hand, in a perfect world what consenting adults do on their own time wouldn't change perceptions of their competency or leadership.

Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and executive leaders do carry the expectation to keep their private lives private, and if something is public it shouldn't be controversial.

My two cents is that the guy was naive in thinking this wouldn't undermines his executive role as leader of a campus. And naivety isn't a great trait in a leader. But the president shouldn't have made disparaging remarks about him and should simply have left it at a vague "differences in judgement."