CHENNAI: Around 250 students of the YMCA College of Physical Education staged a stir inside their campus in Nandanam on Tuesday, protesting the return of a principal who had earlier been accused of sexual harassment. The protesters flagged the lack of basic amenities in hostels and urged the college to release a detailed fee structure
In December 2022, the principal, George Abraham, had been placed on leave after he was booked for sexual assault. A female student filed an FIR and others provided call recordings of the principal as evidence. “However, he returned two weeks ago and has been threatening the women students He has been saying that no action will be taken against him,” charged one of the joint secretaries of the student council.
Female students, who were part of the protest, said that there have been sexual harassment complaints against the principal. “Many don’t file a formal complaint fearing a reaction from their family. Several of us have seen him talking in a sexually explicit manner to a senior student on the sports grounds,” said a first-year student.
Several male students alleged the principal threatened to fail them in examinations if they questioned the fee structure. Fee had been collected for camps and books even if they are not part of that particular semester, they added.
Each student pays around Rs 90,000 a year including the hostel fees. “However, we are not given a fee structure. We calculated that each student should be refunded Rs 12,000 as they were not physically present in hostels, and there were no mess services due to Covid-19. While authorities promised a`10,000 refund, they are now saying it can’t be done,” said another student. They added that the college hostel is unhygienic and lacks water facilities and locks on doors.
Meanwhile, principal George Abraham said that some people within the YMCA management were instigating students to protest against him. He said complaints regarding fee structure and lack of proper infrastructure would be probed. He denied the sexual harassment charges against him. It may be noted there are over 500 students in the college pursuing degrees including Bachelor of Physical Education (BP Ed), Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports Science (BPES),