Harassment Charged at University Of Michigan

Formal investigation into charges of sexual harassment prompted the resignation of a University of Michigan professor last week.

The resignation came before an appointed university committee formally recommended action against the professor through the committee had already issued its guilty verdict. It was the first formal investigation ever made at the university into charges that a tenured professor had sexually harassed students.

Officials refused to release the professor's name or details of the charges against him. But, sources close to the investigation said the professor. Who was facing seven separate allegations of sexually harassing female students and staff members was a member of the psychology department.

Review Finds 'Misconduct'

The University's unprecedented application of the regents bylaws against sexual harassment began last October when Michigan President Harold Shapiro asked a key faculty committee--the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA)--to investigate allegations about the professor's misconduct.

A subcommittee on tenure held hearings to investigate the allegations. After review of the case the subcommittee concluded that "misconduct had occurred and recommended dismissal of the faculty member," Shapiro said in a prepared statement.

The professors's case was appealed to SACUA which approved the subcommittee's recommendation.

Shapiro said he would accept the professors resignation to avoid "further hardship and pain to the family of the faculty member involved." He said he did not think accepting the resignation would decrease the impact of the University's decision. The Michigan Daily