LA JOLLA, Calif. (KGTV) - Since 2016, UCSD investigators have found six employees in violation of the university’s sexual misconduct policy, according to a report in the student newspaper, The Triton.
Claims of sexual misconduct at the university are investigated by the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) as mandated by Title IX, the federal statute that protects against sex-based discrimination.
In one of the cases, documents show OPHD investigated accusations of inappropriate behavior made by two female students against a humanities professor in Revelle College.
In the documents, one of the students reported the professor had asked her “if she had seen “50 Shades of Grey” and if she was interested in “that kind of thing.’”
The student also told investigators the professor had gotten her drunk, tied her to his bed and “started to kiss her lips and cheeks and began sucking on her ears. Complainant B said she had bruises on her ears from the sucking.”
According to the documents, the professor denied those allegations to OPHD investigators, however, they still found him in violation of the university’s sexual violence and sexual harassment policy. He resigned after the investigation.
In five of the cases detailed by The Triton, the employees resigned from their positions before disciplinary action could be taken.
In the sixth case, an unnamed male employee was investigated after a female co-worker claimed he harassed her for being gay.
According to documents obtained by The Triton, he told her that “gay parents shouldn’t be allowed to raise children.”
OPHD found the male employee in violation of their policy but he did not resign. Instead, he was ordered to take sexual harassment training online and told no to express his personal views at work, according to The Triton.
Because 10News is not aware of any criminal charges filed against the former employees, the names of the defendants have been withheld.
In a statement to 10News, a UCSD spokesperson wrote:
“In all cases, the university seeks to take appropriate action to stop the harassment, prevent its recurrence and remedy its effects. All cases where a policy violation is found results in either disciplinary sanctions or employee resignation. The campus cannot impose disciplinary actions on employees who are no longer with the university.”
