Amid a controversy over a professor of theater arts at a private university in Chungnam who sexually harassed, harassed, and other human rights violations against students, the university referred the professor to a disciplinary committee.
According to the university newspaper today (3rd), the university's Human Rights Center notified the university of the outcome of the Human Rights Commission's deliberations against Professor A late last month.
Of the 19 reported victims, the Human Rights Center acknowledged 2 violations, including two cases of sexual harassment, five cases of human rights violations, and three cases of harassment.
About 5 affected students who reported to the Human Rights Center reported to the school's Human Rights Center that they had to suffer sexual harassment and abusive behavior while attending Professor A's theatrical production class for about two months from October to the end of November last year.
According to their report to the Human Rights Center, Professor A instructed them to perform improvisational acts, such as holding the opposite sex's hand and making them take a position of spreading their legs during class.
In addition, even though there was no need to teach classes because the play was not directly staged, he reportedly instructed them to "experience childbirth, breastfeeding, assault, rape, etc. with the help of heterosexual motives in the department."
In addition, he was found to have made derogatory remarks about the acting of transfer students, refused to coach transfer students to act, and made insulting remarks about the affected students.
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▲ Last month, students from the Department of Theatre and Arts posted a script criticizing Professor A and the school.
The Human Rights Center judged that "Professor A's impromptu postponement instruction is unnecessary and inappropriate and causes sexual discomfort in the victim," and that "considering the superiority of the status of student and professor, the victim could not have refused."
It recommended that "in accordance with the regulations, sexual harassment, sexual violence, or human rights violations are recognized, appropriate remedial measures and correction or improvement of systems, policies, and practices are required by the person concerned and the head of the relevant department."
Based on the results of the Human Rights Commission's deliberations, the school excluded Professor A from the subject and removed him from the course.
However, when Professor A continued with classes in other grades, the affected students staged a one-person protest, demanding that the school take appropriate and speedy action.
Currently, Professor A has been removed from his position and is reportedly denying the allegations.
In response, the university said, "As the school is aware of the seriousness of the matter, I wonder if the disciplinary committee will take appropriate disciplinary action against Professor A at the upcoming disciplinary committee."
(Photo = Yonhap News)