Inappropriate behaviour: KU faculty suspects ‘cover up’ in sexual harassment case
Vice chairman's adviser says members of inquiry committee have declared teacher guilty
PHOTO: MOHAMAMD NOMAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Faculty members at the Karachi University (KU) are beginning to suspect a ‘cover up’ as the inquiry committee’s report confirming the involvement of their fellow teacher in a sexual harassment case has been with the vice-chancellor (VC) for more than 10 days.
In August last year, nearly a dozen girls studying at the university’s social work department had raised their voices against the ‘inappropriate behaviour’ of a male member of the faculty, pressing the KU administration to form an inquiry committee to redress their grievances.
After prolonged investigations, stretching up to over five months since September last year, the committee, headed by KU’s microbiology professor Dr Shakeel Ahmed Khan with Prof Muhammad Kaleem Raza Khan and Prof Dr Raheela Najam as its other members, finally submitted its report to VC Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser. The vice- chancellor was, however, not available for comments.
“In their report, the members of the inquiry committee have unanimously declared Dr Sabir Michael, a social work department teacher, guilty of sexual harassment,” confirmed an advisor to the KU VC on the condition of anonymity. “The VC, however, intends to present the report before the syndicate meeting – the highest decision-making body of the university, to be held in the last week of March. He is not willing to take the decision based on the findings and recommendations of the committee.”
The senior teachers, however, termed the VC’s conduct as ‘deliberate avoidance’ when the whole teachers’ and students’ community was concerned over this matter.
“He should have implemented the recommendations and findings of the inquiry committee on behalf of the syndicate since he was the authority who instituted this committee in the first place,” said a senior faculty member at the political science department. “Otherwise, what was the point in instituting the committee and what was its mandate? We simply fail to understand.”
Many other teachers at the university believe that the issue of sexual harassment cannot be addressed effectively due to an ineffective university administration and increasing political influence.
In November last year, around two months after a case of sexual harassment was reported at the social work department, a teacher at the Urdu department was reinstated by the university’s syndicate after facing a two-year suspension on charges of sexual harassment. While the investigations were going on, the teacher received his monthly salary while staying at home.
“Everyone at the university knows that there were genuine complaints against this particular teacher at the Urdu department, subsequently confirmed by the first inquiry committee,” said a university official privy to the investigations. “Later, he got bailed out as the university syndicate formed another inquiry committee that absolved the teacher of the charges.”
Faculty members at the Karachi University (KU) are beginning to suspect a ‘cover up’ as the inquiry committee’s report confirming the involvement of their fellow teacher in a sexual harassment case has been with the vice-chancellor (VC) for more than 10 days.
In August last year, nearly a dozen girls studying at the university’s social work department had raised their voices against the ‘inappropriate behaviour’ of a male member of the faculty, pressing the KU administration to form an inquiry committee to redress their grievances.
After prolonged investigations, stretching up to over five months since September last year, the committee, headed by KU’s microbiology professor Dr Shakeel Ahmed Khan with Prof Muhammad Kaleem Raza Khan and Prof Dr Raheela Najam as its other members, finally submitted its report to VC Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser. The vice- chancellor was, however, not available for comments.
“In their report, the members of the inquiry committee have unanimously declared Dr Sabir Michael, a social work department teacher, guilty of sexual harassment,” confirmed an advisor to the KU VC on the condition of anonymity. “The VC, however, intends to present the report before the syndicate meeting – the highest decision-making body of the university, to be held in the last week of March. He is not willing to take the decision based on the findings and recommendations of the committee.”
The senior teachers, however, termed the VC’s conduct as ‘deliberate avoidance’ when the whole teachers’ and students’ community was concerned over this matter.
“He should have implemented the recommendations and findings of the inquiry committee on behalf of the syndicate since he was the authority who instituted this committee in the first place,” said a senior faculty member at the political science department. “Otherwise, what was the point in instituting the committee and what was its mandate? We simply fail to understand.”
Many other teachers at the university believe that the issue of sexual harassment cannot be addressed effectively due to an ineffective university administration and increasing political influence.
In November last year, around two months after a case of sexual harassment was reported at the social work department, a teacher at the Urdu department was reinstated by the university’s syndicate after facing a two-year suspension on charges of sexual harassment. While the investigations were going on, the teacher received his monthly salary while staying at home.
“Everyone at the university knows that there were genuine complaints against this particular teacher at the Urdu department, subsequently confirmed by the first inquiry committee,” said a university official privy to the investigations. “Later, he got bailed out as the university syndicate formed another inquiry committee that absolved the teacher of the charges.”