Harvard University Professor resigns as a faculty member over sexual allegations

Washington: Jorge Dominguez, Harvard’s University Professor since 1970s has stepped down from his position following accusations of sexual abuse against him.

Announcing his retirement long-time Professor has stepped down as a faculty member of the International and Area Studies at Harvard University over accusations of sexual abuse against him.

In an email to colleagues, Professor said that he would no longer continue and is stepping down as a faculty member.

“I am retiring from my job at Harvard at the end of this semester. It has been a privilege to serve the university. I am not teaching this semester. I have stepped down immediately from my role at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies and my other very few remaining academic coordinating roles. You may inform others as you deem best,” he said.

Over the past few decades, several complaints of sexual misdemeanor and of “being kissed and touched inappropriately” have been filed against Professor Dominguez, with the reporting number of accusers rose up to 18.

Earlier, Dominguez was under fire for “serious misconduct” in a case which involved a junior female professor in the year1983.

Another Professor named Terry Karl, now working at Stanford University, has also claimed that the professor had repeatedly made several sexual overtures and groped her with “his hand under her skirt.”

“A quiet retirement is unacceptable. After more than three decades of harassment, the university must carry out a full, fair and transparent investigation of this professor’s conduct, and there must be clear and visible consequences. Harvard also owes a transparent explanation for his continued promotion to positions of greater power when the university knew or should have known that his conduct was an abuse of power. This conduct created a hostile environment for decades, affecting women subject to his authority. What is the explanation?” she said in an email to the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Michael Smith, dean of Harvard’s faculty of arts and sciences, in an official statement on Tuesday said, “I want to be very clear that Dominguez’s forthcoming retirement does not change the full and fair process of review that is currently underway…He remains on administrative leave until it is concluded.”