Professor Fired for Allegedly Requesting Female Students to Remove Shirts in Class

Washington: A college professor in the United States has been terminated following allegations of requesting female students to remove their shirts as part of a class demonstration. The incident came to light after an investigation by the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Education. The professor’s actions, which created a hostile environment, included inappropriate comments about the students’ breasts. The incident took place at the Takoma/Silver Spring campus in October 2019.

Upon discovering the misconduct, the college immediately placed the male faculty member on administrative leave and later fired him. Montgomery College expressed gratitude for the thorough investigation and pledged full support to the resolutions outlined in the final report. The professor’s name has not been disclosed, and it is unclear whether the matter was reported to the police or which specific class was involved.

During the investigation, it was revealed that one of the female students involved had failed the course, believing it was due to harassment. The college assisted her in re-enrolling and covered the expenses for her to retake the class. Additionally, the college offered tuition reimbursement or covered the costs for at least three other affected students to retake the course.

While the report commended Montgomery College for promptly conducting the investigation, concerns were raised about the lack of communication with all individuals involved. Council member Will Jawando expressed surprise at learning about the incident four years after its occurrence. He believes the professor’s name should be disclosed and intends to advocate for transparency.

The Department of Education has mandated that the college notify all affected students by August 15. The resolution agreement also requires the college to provide the Office for Civil Rights with the results of the 2022 climate survey and a summary of the steps taken in response to any concerns raised by the survey before September 15.

Although Montgomery College operates under its own board of trustees, the county provides funding to the college, granting the council power in financial matters related to the institution.