A three-month investigation exposes the professor's unsettling request and remarks targeting female students, leading to his dismissal.
Montgomery College has recently dismissed a male faculty member following an investigation into an incident that occurred in October 2019, in which the professor allegedly requested 11 female students to undress down to their sports bras during a class demonstration. The incident, which took place at the college’s Takoma/Silver Spring campus, saw the professor also making unseemly comments about the students’ breasts, under the guise of a purported medical assessment.
The incident initially came to light in 2019, but the conclusive report was made public recently after an exhaustive three-month investigation conducted by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Education. The investigation found the professor culpable of creating a hostile environment, devoid of any academic or medical justification for his demands or remarks.
The female students, in an attempt to maintain modesty, wore lab jackets, but the professor reportedly insisted on their removal. His actions and comments were deemed to be in gross violation of professional conduct and a blatant disregard for the students’ well-being and dignity.
Montgomery College responded swiftly once the findings were revealed. The professor was placed on administrative leave, followed by an official dismissal. A spokesperson for the college expressed gratitude to OCR for the meticulous investigation and affirmed the institution's support for the resolutions outlined in the final report.
The impact on the affected students has been significant. One of the students, who failed the course, attributed her failure to the distress caused by the harassment. The college took reparative measures by assisting her in re-enrolling and covering the expenses for her to retake the class. Additionally, the college offered tuition reimbursements or covered costs for at least three other students in the same class to retake the course.
Montgomery County Executive, Marc Elrich, provided some insights into why the professor's name hasn’t been disclosed. He suggested that it might be due to the case being treated as a disciplinary or personnel matter, rather than a criminal case.
However, not everyone shares this viewpoint. Will Jawando, a Council member who chairs the Education Committee, expressed his astonishment about learning of the incident years after it took place. Mr. Jawando has since reached out to the college president and asserted his belief that the professor’s name should be disclosed. He also highlighted the county's role in providing funding to the college, indicating the council's influence in financial matters related to the institution.
As per the Department of Education’s mandate, Montgomery College is required to notify all the affected students by August 15. Additionally, the college must provide the OCR with the results of the 2022 climate survey and a summary of the steps taken in response to any concerns raised by the survey before September 15.
The incident initially came to light in 2019, but the conclusive report was made public recently after an exhaustive three-month investigation conducted by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Education. The investigation found the professor culpable of creating a hostile environment, devoid of any academic or medical justification for his demands or remarks.
The female students, in an attempt to maintain modesty, wore lab jackets, but the professor reportedly insisted on their removal. His actions and comments were deemed to be in gross violation of professional conduct and a blatant disregard for the students’ well-being and dignity.
Montgomery College responded swiftly once the findings were revealed. The professor was placed on administrative leave, followed by an official dismissal. A spokesperson for the college expressed gratitude to OCR for the meticulous investigation and affirmed the institution's support for the resolutions outlined in the final report.
The impact on the affected students has been significant. One of the students, who failed the course, attributed her failure to the distress caused by the harassment. The college took reparative measures by assisting her in re-enrolling and covering the expenses for her to retake the class. Additionally, the college offered tuition reimbursements or covered costs for at least three other students in the same class to retake the course.
Montgomery County Executive, Marc Elrich, provided some insights into why the professor's name hasn’t been disclosed. He suggested that it might be due to the case being treated as a disciplinary or personnel matter, rather than a criminal case.
However, not everyone shares this viewpoint. Will Jawando, a Council member who chairs the Education Committee, expressed his astonishment about learning of the incident years after it took place. Mr. Jawando has since reached out to the college president and asserted his belief that the professor’s name should be disclosed. He also highlighted the county's role in providing funding to the college, indicating the council's influence in financial matters related to the institution.
As per the Department of Education’s mandate, Montgomery College is required to notify all the affected students by August 15. Additionally, the college must provide the OCR with the results of the 2022 climate survey and a summary of the steps taken in response to any concerns raised by the survey before September 15.