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OU Employee Resigns, Sexual Harassment Allegations Substantiated
By: Susan Tebben
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An Ohio University employee at a regional campus has resigned, and allegations of sexual harassment and non-consensual sexual conduct were substantiated in a university investigation.
The employee was listed in the OU Office of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance official report as a manager of student employees, and two student employees were listed as the accusers in the investigation. The report was completed in April, and obtained Thursday by WOUB through a public records request.
The two student employees told investigators the man inappropriately touched them several times, and “on numerous occasions” made sexually-charged comments about their bodies, accounts which were corroborated by witnesses. The women said the man would rub student employees’ shoulders “all the time,” and grabbed one of the accusers buttocks “in such a manner that it felt as if his finger penetrated Complainant 1’s anus.”
“Given the gross physical intrusion on Complainant 1’s person and the significant power disparity between Complainant 1 and (the man), not only was this conduct clearly an offensive, unprofessional abuse of power, but it also was humiliating, intimidating, and hostile for Complainant 1,” the ECRC report stated.
In other instances, the women said the man asked one of them to participate in a “three-way” with him and his wife, and he told one of them “I would like to see you naked, but I’m your manager so that would be inappropriate,” according to the report.
“Also severe was the unwelcome hugging of Complainant 2, particularly beginning with the time that (the man) told Complainant 2 that her ‘boobs are getting bigger,'” the report stated.
An allegation of quid pro quo (this for that) sexual harassment was investigated by the ECRC, but investigators determined the evidence was insufficient to prove the man had asked for sexual favors in exchange for work-related benefits.
University officials redacted the identity of the man accused in the report. A university spokesperson said the name was not being released due the small staff of the department in which the man worked. If the man’s identity were released, the identity of the accusers would be easily identified, according to Carly Leatherwood, of university communications and marketing.
Other media outlets have reported that the man worked at the Ironton campus.
Leatherwood confirmed that the man was no longer employed by the university.