South Asian University (SAU) has been accused of ignoring a sexual harassment complaint filed by a student against one of its professors. According to the complainant, her repeated complaints were ignored, and instead of taking action against the professor, the university elevated him to the position of dean. The student alleged on Twitter that she had requested the university to constitute a committee, but her emails were blocked instead, and her complaint was never examined. She has also moved the Delhi High Court against her expulsion from SAU.
SAU, however, claimed that the complaint was inadmissible and said that the university had a gender sensitisation committee and university complaints committee to investigate any complaint of sexual harassment. It also called the complainant an expelled student and denied ever receiving any sexual harassment complaint as per university rules.
The alleged incident dates back to when the complainant was in the first year of her course, and she claimed that the teacher had harassed her over the phone several times. Since March 2023, she has been emailing various authorities with the complaint. The university has been facing protests from SAU students over the downgrading of scholarships since November last year. On February 17, 2023, SAU expelled a few students, and recently, it has suspended four faculty members.
All India Students Association has called SAU insensitive and has come out in support of the student. The victim’s identity has not been revealed as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault.
According to SAU, it respects the laws and regulations of the host country, and the university has bodies such as the gender sensitisation committee and university complaints committee to investigate any complaints of sexual harassment.
The controversy raises questions about the enforcement of laws on sexual harassment in universities and educational institutions. It highlights the need for more effective mechanisms to prevent and address cases of sexual harassment and abuse in such institutions.
