University's silence on sexual misconduct unacceptable
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 10/9/06 Section: Forum
For the past three months, Student Life has been investigating allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct between a faculty member and his students. The results of this in depth reporting appear on today's front page.
In our investigation, we found something more troublesome than a professor abusing his position of power. This is not to say that we take the subject matter lightly; rather, former Earth and Planetary Sciences professor Joshua Smith's multiple instances of inappropriate conduct with his students are extremely troublesome to us. This conduct made a student uncomfortable enough to leave the University and led to Smith's eventual resignation. In short, these are no trivial matters.
Yet, amidst all this inappropriate behavior, it is the University's conduct that we find the most appalling. Both the University's sluggish investigation into allegations against Smith and their current silence on the matter are incredibly irresponsible ways of handling matters of extreme consequence.
As students at this University, we would hope that any legitimate allegations of a professor's sexual misconduct be addressed in a thorough and prompt manner. We expect that the University would value the importance of responding to such claims quickly as to curtail any inappropriate behavior that could likely be continuing.
We do not want a split-second decision; important matters do take time to deliberate. But we certainly do expect a timely response and certainly not the two years that it took the University to act in response to graduate student Julia Heathcote's accusation.
We find this lag in reaction time nothing short of appalling. That a professor remained at our University and taught for four semesters, after administrators had been made aware of and investigated his misconduct, is a shocking disservice to the students who worked with him. That it took two additional cases of sexual misconduct to finally convince the University that Smith was a threat to his students troubles us even more.
In our investigation, we found something more troublesome than a professor abusing his position of power. This is not to say that we take the subject matter lightly; rather, former Earth and Planetary Sciences professor Joshua Smith's multiple instances of inappropriate conduct with his students are extremely troublesome to us. This conduct made a student uncomfortable enough to leave the University and led to Smith's eventual resignation. In short, these are no trivial matters.
Yet, amidst all this inappropriate behavior, it is the University's conduct that we find the most appalling. Both the University's sluggish investigation into allegations against Smith and their current silence on the matter are incredibly irresponsible ways of handling matters of extreme consequence.
As students at this University, we would hope that any legitimate allegations of a professor's sexual misconduct be addressed in a thorough and prompt manner. We expect that the University would value the importance of responding to such claims quickly as to curtail any inappropriate behavior that could likely be continuing.
We do not want a split-second decision; important matters do take time to deliberate. But we certainly do expect a timely response and certainly not the two years that it took the University to act in response to graduate student Julia Heathcote's accusation.
We find this lag in reaction time nothing short of appalling. That a professor remained at our University and taught for four semesters, after administrators had been made aware of and investigated his misconduct, is a shocking disservice to the students who worked with him. That it took two additional cases of sexual misconduct to finally convince the University that Smith was a threat to his students troubles us even more.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 9
wash u
posted 10/09/06 @ 3:56 AM CST
My issue with this is not its content, but the fact that stud life runs an editorial on its current front page news story. I've seen this a few times this year and it sets an unfortunate journalistic precedent. (Continued…)
Paul Discher
posted 10/09/06 @ 6:00 AM CST
Just two years ago Student Life took a Pro-administration viewpoint when charges of racial discrimination arose over a student in the Electrical Engineering school. (Continued…)
guest1234
Washu2
posted 10/09/06 @ 11:48 AM CST
It is pathetic that the administration did not do anything about this man sooner. They had all this information in 2003, but sat on it and allowed more students to be assaulted and affronted. (Continued…)
DrB
posted 10/10/06 @ 1:48 AM CST
When I was in graduate student government at Penn, a resolution was proposed banning all student/faculty romantic relationships of any kind, including those between TAs and their students. (Continued…)
gmsales
Tia
posted 2/22/07 @ 7:09 PM CST
I think that perhaps, when you only hear one side of a story, you should not hold yourself in that high of an opinion to place or direct blame on either party. (Continued…)
washU3
posted 2/25/07 @ 1:33 PM CST
If this issue has not been resolved to our satisfaction, StudLife should pursue this issue further. Student Union along with StudLife have the most influence. (Continued…)
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