A report by an internal inquiry committee, a copy of which is with The Hindu , has found Lawrence Liang, Dean, School of Law, Governance and Citizenship, at Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), guilty of sexually harassing a woman research scholar.
He has been asked to step down from “any administrative position he may be holding currently for at least two years”.
The committee has recommended that Professor Liang should undergo a suitable course on sexual harassment at the workplace.
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The committee went on to warn the Professor that any complaint of sexual harassment against him in the future could have serious consequences, including suspension from service.
The complaint was made by a woman who was not connected with the university in any formal or informal capacity. The five-member Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment (CPSH) was headed by Geetha Venkataraman, a faculty member.
The report details multiple instances in which the defendant allegedly crossed the line.
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Professor Liang has sought to appeal the report. His name had appeared earlier in a crowd-sourced list, published on Facebook following the global ‘#MeToo’ campaign, that alleged rampant sexual harassment in Indian universities without providing proof.
‘Media trial’
In a statement disputing the report and its findings, Professor Liang said, “This is only one part of the process provided by the CPSH rules. Those rules provide that both/either party can appeal the recommendations. I informed the CPSH and AUD of my intention to appeal immediately on receipt of the report.”
Stating that “some persons have initiated selective leaks”, he said, “Selective leaks demonise, cause a media trial, and proclaim guilt in advance.”