A professor of philosophy at the University of Denver last year was found “responsible for sexually harassing a graduate student,” according to The Denver Post.
The University of Denver’s civil rights office had recommended that the professor in question, Marco Nathan, a full professor who had served as department chair, be fired, the Post reports, however, he is “now a part-time employee working off-campus who ‘does not have interactions with students.’”
Dr. Nathan had appealed the findings, and “denied that his behavior toward his former student was sexual and said she initiated or welcomed their interactions.”
The Post says:
DU’s civil rights office upheld its findings earlier this year. “Respondent’s own explanations of his interactions with Complainant are at times sufficiently troubling on their own without even considering Complainant’s recounting of the same incidents,” the office said in its response to Nathan’s appeal.
The student, then in the MA program, said, “He made me believe I would not get into a Ph.D. program without his support. He was constantly berating me.”
The sexual harassment included the old “let’s share a hotel room at the conference to save money” routine. She declined, but things did not end there. See The Post for details.
I share this story as a reminder that these kinds of problems are, remarkably, still a part of academia, and academic philosophy is no exception.
Professors, do not try to have a sexual or romantic relationship with your students.
