Tuesday, September 18, 2018

$50 million sexual harassment lawsuit shines light on Columbia’s staff-student sex policy - The College Fix

$50 million sexual harassment lawsuit shines light on Columbia’s staff-student sex policy - The College Fix:
"Staff apparently not forbidden from pursuing romantic or sexual relationships with students
Columbia University’s policy on sexual and romantic relationships between students and staff appears to permit those relationships even when there is a “supervisory, advisory or mentoring context.”
...The elite university’s policy came to light after the dean of students at the university’s School of General Studies. Harford was fired for “unacceptable” conduct, the school said last month.
firing of Tom Harford, the
...filed a federal lawsuit against both Harford and Columbia on behalf of unnamed student Jane Doe, who alleged sexual harassment by Harford.
Doe is seeking $50 million in damages.
...The suit claims that, following this, Harford “used his power and influence at Columbia to coerce Doe into an inappropriate sexual and romantic relationship.”
Further, it also states that Harford told stories about his “violent past” in order to “intimidate” Doe, and that the dean exploited her reliance on scholarship funding as “bait” to keep her in the relationship.
The alleged relationship itself may have been permissible under university policy..."
Read on.

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