US College Professor Fired For Asking Girls To Remove Shirt

In a Fox5 DC report, a college professor in the United States was fired for reportedly asking female students to take off their shirts. The dismissal happened after the Office of Civil Rights Within the Department of Education investigated the incident.

In a three-month investigation, it was discovered that the professor had created an uncomfortable environment for eleven female students by asking them to remove their shirts and reveal their sports bras as a part of the class demonstration.

US Professor Fired For Harassment

He had also allegedly made sexual remarks about their breasts and claimed it was a procedure related to medical assessment, although there was no requirement for the removal of clothes or such inappropriate commentary.

The news outlet reported that when some of the female students wore lab coats, he insisted that they remove them too. The incident happened at Takoma/Silver Spring Campus and was reported first in October 2019. Immediately after the investigation, the male faculty member, whose name has not been revealed, was placed on administrative leave and later dismissed.

The investigation also revealed that one of the students had failed the course, and it was believed that it was due to the harassment. The college assisted in re-enrolling her and took care of the expenses for her to retake the class. The college also offered tuition reimbursement or covered the costs for at least three students to retake the class.

The spokesperson of Montgomery College conveyed their gratitude for the thorough investigation carried out by the OCR and expressed full support for the resolutions mentioned in the OCR’s final report, which was made public recently.

Although the professor was fired, the college didn’t disclose whether the issue was reported to the police or the reason for not disclosing the professor's name or details of the class involved.

The Executive of Montgomery County, Marc Elrich, said that he wouldn't expect anyone to reveal the name until there’s been an investigation. 

The news outlet's report commended the college’s swift action but expressed concern about the fact that not all individuals were informed about the findings. Council member Jill Jawando, Chair of the Education Committee, was surprised to learn that the incident happened four years ago.

He personally contacted the college president and acknowledged the privacy concerns, but he stated that he believed the professor’s name should be disclosed so that he could advocate for the outcome.

The Department of Education mandated that the college notify all the affected students by August 15. It also asked the college to provide the OCR with the results of the 2022 climate survey and a summary of the actions taken in response to any concerns raised by the survey before September 15.

Jawando emphasised that although Montgomery College operated under its own brand of trustees, who formulate and establish policies, the counsel had the power in financial matters related to the college since the country provides funding to the college.

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