A university administrator from the University of South Florida has had his title stripped after he allegedly engaged in sexual behavior and committed sexual harassment on campus. The 57-year-old administrator was told late last month that he would be removed from his position as director of the university’s Center for Virtualization and Applied Spacial Technologies, which is a part of the Department of Anthropology.
The director’s removal followed a report by the Tampa Bay Times that the teacher was formerly accused of sexual harassment against a female co-worker and graduate student he met at Idaho State University.
According to the accusations, the administrator subjected the woman to unwanted attention and later groped her and forcibly kissed her in October 2013. The administrator began working at USF late last year, but he did not inform the university about the past sexual harassment incident. He only informed the university after learning that the Tampa Bay Times was going to publish an article about the sexual harassment lawsuit that is currently pending against the University of Idaho.
The director has been stripped of his administrative title and duties, but it appears he will stay employed at USF for now. Nevertheless, faculty from the university’s Department of Anthropology has requested that the man be disassociated from its department immediately.
There is no reason for any individual to be subjected to sexual harassment at work. Furthermore, employing companies, universities and governments have a duty to protect workers from individuals who have committed sexual harassment in the past. Employees who are suffering from sexual harassment in Florida right now have every right to seek legal assistance to put a stop to the harassment now.
Source: Tampa Bay Times, “USF administrator stripped of title after review of sex harassment finding at previous job,” Anastasia Dawson, Nov. 18, 2016
