29/11/2024
Male USP Student Breaks Silence On Lecturer’s Alleged Harassment
By Praneeta Prakash
29/11/2024
Following allegations of sexual harassment against some odd 30 female students at the University of the South Pacific, a male student has come forward to share troubling accounts of alleged sexual misconduct by a lecturer.
Speaking out on behalf of his female peers, the student detailed instances of alleged harassment that reportedly left many female students feeling unsafe, intimidated, and unwilling to attend tutorial sessions or lectures.
The student who reached out to FBC News says the lecturer’s behavior ranged from alleged inappropriate comments to direct advances.
A USP student who decided to break the silence around alleged harassment recounted situations where the lecturer allegedly asked personal questions, such as the relationship status of female students, and even invited them to lunch.
He also shared an incident where the lecturer allegedly made physical advances towards a female student after a tutorial session.
“So he would, in some of the tutorial classes, he would say that he is single and there were some cases where this teacher would ask girls that if they are single as well, especially in quiz classes, which was the last semester. So another thing is one particular situation I observed was when our tutorial classes finished, this lecturer approached this female and started getting flirty with this female, like started flirting with her and just lightly got, just lightly started touching her and all. And it was very uncomfortable to watch, but I as a student could not say anything because and other female students as well who are affected by this, we did not want to say anything because we didn’t want to get academically sabotaged.”
The student reveals that rumors about the lecture’s alleged behavior had circulated earlier in the semester, but they were dismissed by many until his actions became apparent.
“I had females friends who was actually like, the students didn’t want to go to this office actually, because when they did go, he would constantly ask them, can we go out and have lunch together? And it would be very, very uncomfortable. And yeah, like, especially when you didn’t, like, for example, if you didn’t get good marks on your exam, you have to go to the lecturer to kind of like check a few of the questions, have it rechecked. So that was the main time they would get targeted.”
The student also expressed frustration at the lack of action by the institution, noting that fear of academic retaliation prevented many from speaking out.
In response to this, Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali reiterated the organization’s readiness to support survivors of alleged harassment.
“I would say to them to seek more information, and they could come to the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre at any time, and lay their complaints, and if they need counselling, they would be given that. But also, we would work with the institution, if they so wished. So the same advice we would give to them, but they must seek help, particularly from people who are experiencing these areas, and so on.”
The FWCC has urged survivors to come forward and assured them of access to counseling, legal advice, and assistance with filing formal complaints.
The Police Force is also encouraging the victims to come forward and lodge an official complaint.
The spokesperson for the group who are gathering evidence related to past sexual harassment allegations says they are still waiting for the USP council for guidance.
FBC News has sent questions in relation to the issue to USP.
