The newly released reports, dating back to January 2011, show the university’s Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination upheld sexual harassment claims against an assistant diving coach, a counselor for disabled students, an adjunct statistics professor and an assistant professor in South and Southeast Asian studies.
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In an interview with The Guardian, Michael Burawoy, co-chair of the Berkeley Faculty Association and a sociology professor, said that the handling of the faculty in these cases raised questions about unequal treatment.
Last month, Sorrell filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the university and Choudhry.
The report also cites the significance of a witness who also saw and corroborated numerous interactions and incidents of alleged sexual harassment. Among those in the report who kept their jobs.
As an example of a story that had not previously been made public, UC Berkeley swim coach Todd Mulzet was alleged to have harassed a male co-worker throughout 2014 and 2015, including offering him $300 for oral sex – resulting only in a pay cut for Mulzet. Of these cases, seven employees resigned or were fired.
The university did not initially move to fire any of the higher-level faculty or administrators, such as Choudry.
Also today, a woman suing the former UC Berkeley Law School dean for unwanted touching spoke out. According to his attorney last week, it was “no unwelcomed sexual innuendo”. Choudhry denied the touching amounted to sexual harassment. His pay was docked by 10 percent, and he resigned as dean – but still remains on the faculty. In records obtained by The Mercury News, the university office investigating these cases upheld sexual harassment claims against a university diving coach as well.
A university investigation found Hufnagel violated school policy after he allegedly sent suggestive texts to the reporter and reportedly tried to lure her to his apartment.
“That’s the minimal consideration and respect that you can show people who are attending that university, who are working at that university and who are donating to that university”.
“There needs to be a systemic overhaul, a major overhaul on so many different levels”, said Sorrell, a married mother of five.
Three faculty members included in the reports remain at the university, said UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof.
“Like the Catholic church, they’ve hidden the problem”, Winer said. “It’s an important discussion”.
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The work of the committee will begin next week, and it will report its recommendations to the UC president and chancellor by October 15, 2016.
