The professor sexually harassed multiple female students and was covered up by the school? Elite school defendants go to court

According to the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) reported on the 10th, 3 graduate students are suing Harvard University, accusing the school of delaying action on the sexual harassment of students by professors.

Nearly five years ago, three graduate students in Harvard anthropology professor John Comaroff's department — Lilia Kilburn, Margaret Czerwienski and Amulya Mandava — began reporting harassment by him. The professor's sexual harassment was described as "rampant" and included "kissing and touching without the student's consent, unwelcome sexual overtures, and threatening that if the student complained, he would ruin their careers."

Komarov's lawyer said in a statement that the professor "categorically denied ever harassing or retaliating against any student." Kilburn mentioned to Komarov that he wanted to study in Central Africa, and the latter then repeatedly described "the various ways of being raped and killed." Komarov's lawyer claimed that the professor believed that "it is necessary to discuss the risk of sexual violence for her personal safety".

The three students involved In the case Image source: US media

The three students involved said they filed complaints against Komarov with relevant officials in 2017 and 2019, respectively, but Harvard University showed "deliberate indifference" and did not launch an investigation until 2020, dragging on for more than a year. In January, Harvard University took Komarov on an unpaid administrative leave. The Harvard Crimson Newspaper, a campus newspaper, said he had previously taken paid time off in August 2020. The students' lawyers said that despite arranging Komarov's unpaid leave, the school did not admit allegations of his worst actions.

In an investigation, Claudine Gay, dean of Harvard's College of Arts and Sciences, said in an email that Komarov's words and actions violated the Liberal Arts College Sexual Harassment Policy and the Liberal Arts College Professional Conduct Policy. The results came from an investigation conducted by Harvard's Office of Dispute Resolution and an outside fact-investigator. Previously, 38 faculty members signed an open letter calling Komarov an "excellent colleague" and expressing disappointment with the university's decision. But after the lawsuit provided more information, many said they wanted to cancel their signatures, according to the Boston Globe.

Carolin Guentert, one of the lawyers representing the 3 students, said the purpose of the lawsuit was to show the extent to which Komarov was accused of sexual harassment, and that the Harvard investigation not only failed to do so, but also placed an undue burden on students to report sexual harassment.

Column Editor-in-Chief: Qin Hong Text Editor: Lu Xiaochuan Caption Source: 笪 Xi Photography Photo Editor: Zhu Xuan

Source: Author: Global Times