MeToo movement: Two Symbiosis professors suspended on harassment charges

Vidya Yeravdekar, principal director, SIU, confirmed the suspension of the two professors but refused to give further details. “The ICC is still going on and we are yet to get the final report, I am not supposed to discuss the interim details. However, I can confirm that the two professors have been suspended pending inquiry as it was recommended that they stay away from campus,” she said.

The news of the suspension comes after the ICC recommended Saturday that SCMC director Anupam Siddhartha be asked to go on leave after 106 students sent a petition to SIU, complaining of bullying, intimidation and harassment by him.

SIU has been in the eye of a storm for the past 10 days after several ex-students came out on social media to share lurid details of sexual harassment and bullying at SCMC. At least 10 girls shared experiences of sexual misconduct by classmates, faculty and even during internships. Students said a “toxic” culture pervaded on campus and claimed that many instances were brought to the attention of the director, who ignored the complaints.

SCMC circulated a Google doc, asking students to send suggestions on how to make campus safer for students, following which they received 200 suggestions and many complaints, prompting the institution to commission an ICC to look into the allegations of sexual harassment against faculty and students and charges of inaction against the director.

Yeravdekar, who claims to have had no knowledge of these incidents, said she is equally shocked by reading the accounts. “We are following all the UGC guidelines and ICC is going over every single complaint. We intend to take whatever measures to make campus safe for students,” she said.