The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) completed an investigation into sexual harassment charges against a professor at Montgomery College’s Takoma Park Campus on Wednesday, June 28.
According to the report, the professor required women students to remove their shirts and wear only their bras as he made commentary on their bodies to demonstrate a medical assessment. The assessment process required neither action. Reports of targeted harassment after the class were also filed.
The college immediately placed the professor on paid leave and notified him of the allegations. The college’s Title IX coordinator emailed all students in the class to inform them of a formal investigation. The coordinator also notified students he would be available to assist students make police reports and offered to interview or accept written statements from students. In addition, he provided a copy of the Title IX policy and information about available resources.
As part of the investigation, the college conducted interviews with students in the class, students from other sections taught by the same professor, the department chair, and other student witnesses.
The investigation took about three months from the initial report. It concluded the professor’s behavior created a hostile environment on the basis of sex. He was promptly fired.
The college coordinated counseling and offered supportive services to at least one student and provided academic assistance and tuition reimbursement for others.
While the college acted properly in filing the harassment claim, the Office of Civil Rights noted the college did not notify all the students concerned about the outcome of the investigation in a timely manner. OCR flagged a Title IX compliance concern that the college had a hostile atmosphere on the basis of sex and had not taken appropriate actions to ensure it did not persist.
