Sunday 2 April 2017

Professor Found Guilty of Sexual Harassment by ICC-SH, SRFTI

Great news: Got the report by ICC for Sexual Harassment on my complaint against a professor of SRFTI. The same one for which I was called a liar and an ugly bitch and a mentally ill person on loose. I do think this is a landmark in the fight against sexual harassment on campuses and that the manner in which ICC has conducted and presented the report is exemplary. Take a look at this walking, breathing history, people.

The charges that ICC-SH looked into were the following:

1. The said man while functioning as assistant professor requested for sexual favour and indulged in verbal and non-verbal conduct of sexual nature on several occasions with me
2. Indulged in unwelcome physical contact and advances leading to sex by coercion with me
3. Once slapped me, attempted to strangle me once while sexually abusing me. Entered my room in the hostel without knocking and thereby interfered with my privacy, made humiliating treatment to me.

Conclusion:
1. The charges of sexual harassment against the professor have been established.
2. The behaviour, remarks and actions of the professor fall under the definition of sexual harassment and thus fall within the purview of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013

Recommendations:
1. That a strong disciplinary action is to be taken against the professor
2. SRFTI authority is requested to look into any adverse effect on academic work, attendance, etc. of the complainant and that of witnesses in regard to the complaints and subsequent inquiry
3. SRFTI should provide protection to complainant and their witnesses against further blaming, slandering, threats and/or attempts of physical assault by students and by any other person/s connected to SRFTI as fallout of this inquiry and subsequent actions by authority.

There is one portion of the Recommendations which was common even to the previous report submitted on cases of sexual harassment by two other professors. The professors were found guilty. Did SRFTI do ANY of the following recommendations which have been repeated here?
  • Prepaparation of a Sexual Harassment Policy for SRFTI immediately
  • SRFTI authority to create awareness about the Issue and the Policy at different levels:
  • Awareness session for students to be conducted every year at the beginning of the academic year
  • Attendance in awareness session for students to be made mandatory
  • Awareness session for faculty and non teaching staff at regular intervals
  • Regular monitoring of situations at SRFTI in regard to sexual harassment – this can be conducted once in two months or so by the ICC. 
The observations and findings of the ICC-SH which need mention:
  • The continuous failure of the professor to appear in any of the three regular hearings and in spite of the fact of being served with two ex-parte hearing notices, it appears to be avoidance on the part of the professor to attend the hearings. Coupled with this, his complaint of biasness & overzealousness of the ICC / Inquiring Authority in conducting the Inquiry seems to be entirely subjective. Both taken together, it depicts an attitude of non-co-operation on the part of the professor.
  • Observed that the complainant and her witnesses stick to her complaint
  • Behaviours and physical actions of the professor towards me in several occasions amounts to sexual harassment and falls within the purview of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013.
The professor has been found guilty. I am awaiting action from SRFTI. Will there be any? Is this the report which SRFTI tried to bury by dissolving ICC-SH? I need answers. And action. Come on. Tell the world what you are going to do about a violent case of sexual abuse by a man who possessed power over his student by virtue of his professorship in SRFTI.
It was an ex-parte hearing because the professor did not turn up even for one hearing. He kept delaying the process stating various reasons.

The rape charge is being looked into by Calcutta High Court. [SRFTI forwarded my complaint to the police without my permission so…]

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