CHENNAI: The University of Madras has suspended five students who were staging a protest alleging that a senior faculty sexually harassed one of the students. Varsity officials told Express that the students were not suspended for lodging a complaint but for violating disciplinary rules during the protest.
About a dozen students staged a sit-in at the varsity’s Chepauk campus the last couple of days alleging that the Head of a Department had sexually harassed a female student during an argument in class. “Only the complainant and those who witnessed the incident were suspended,” the protesting students said.
Earlier some students had staged a stir against irregularities in hostel fee, and they were all allegedly failed in next internal exams. One student told Express, “An argument about marks with the accused teacher got physical and the teacher pushed the complainant on her chest.”
A top varsity official said that the students had “dirtied” the lawns, and had not taken permission for protesting. “Further, the teacher against whom they lodged a complaint is from a Scheduled Caste. He is often targeted by some students,” the official said, and added that the complainant had passed the external exam but failed the internals. “The university refused to pass her in internals as she had fallen behind on assignments. This became a bitter fight between the students and the teacher,” the official claimed.