Ateneo bars prof accused of harassment from classes

A male professor accused of harassing a female student at the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) has been sanctioned upon the request of the student council.

“Effective immediately, he will no longer be teaching this semester. A lot of students have come forward online, but we need survivors, both students and alumni, to file formal complaints,” said university student council president Quiel Quiwa.

In a dialogue with school officials last week, Quiwa said they requested the issuance of a no-contact order against the male professor whom a female student had accused of sexual harassment. The request was approved by AdMU officials on Wednesday.

However, no sanctions have been meted out against a female professor accused of a similar offense by a male student. On Oct. 14, the student narrated on social media his negative encounter with the professor.

No complaint

AdMU president Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, in a letter addressed to the school community on Wednesday, clarified that the victim did not file a complaint against the professor which was why no sanctions were imposed against her.

However, the university has been extending “appropriate assistance” to the victim through the Loyola Schools Gender Hub, he said.

Quiwa added that they were also assisting the victim in moving forward with an official complaint.

In his memorandum, Villarin provided an update on cases being handled by the university’s committee on decorum and investigation.

He said that only seven sexual harassment complaints had been filed in the past three years before the committee. Of the seven cases, five resulted in the accused’s termination of employment.

The university had earlier cited the Data Privacy Act for its decision not to give any information on pending sexual harassment cases on campus.

At least three professors were named in a string of sexual harassment incidents that surfaced on Ateneo’s online community this month.

To improve the university’s processes in dealing with cases of sexual harassment, Villarin announced that they were engaging the services of an independent auditor to identify gaps and points for a recommendation.

Review of policies

He also called for a thorough and independent review of existing policies and protocols on handling sexual harassment complaints.

“We recognize that our systems are imperfect, and we are working together as a community to introduce improvements and eradicate all forms of sexual harassment from the halls of the university,” Villarin said.