FAISALABAD: The acting vice chancellor (VC) of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) has replaced a teacher as the thesis supervisor following multiple allegations of sexual harassment against him.

The ethics committee looking into the issue has also been changed and now, a fact-finding committee has been tasked with probing into the sexual harassment allegations levelled by some female students of MSc (Hons) Food Technology, Human Nutrition and Dietetics in the National Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFSAT) department.

The students had alleged that the supervisor sexually harassed them on March 1 and 2 while checking their theses. Three of them approached the students affairs director with an application that the suspect used objectionable language and also harassed their fellow students.

The girls demanded strict action against the teacher, his removal as their supervisor so they could continue to study freely and protection for all students.

The UAF spokesman said the supervisor had been changed and replaced with the NIFSAT director.

The three-member all-male fact-finding committee comprises the deans of faculties of Food, Nutrition and Home Sciences, Animal Husbandry and NIFSAT. It has been asked to submit its findings to the acting VC, Dr Zafar Tanveer. However, it was not clear how long the committee could take to complete its findings and what was its scope.

A faculty member requesting anonymity said the committee was not authorised to summon any other teacher or staff member. Why would anyone care about a toothless body that no department has been asked to cooperate with, he questioned. He said by mentioning the name of the suspect and attaching the girls’ application, its scope and powers to conduct a free and fair probe had already been limited.

The media was also being intentionally misguided by the university so that the issue could be wrapped up silently, he claimed. Elaborating, he said first the media was issued a notification about the ethics committee that was previously probing into the issue. Now, another notification about the fact-finding committee has been shared although it was constituted on March 11.

The university spokesman did not respond when asked why the committee had been changed all of a sudden. He said the VC took this action following the girls’ complaint and the fact-finding committee was probing into the matter. Statements of the complainants and the suspected teacher were being recorded, he added.

As soon as the process was completed, a report would be submitted to the quarter concerned for further action. The university has adopted the Higher Education Commission’s harassment policy and was practicing zero tolerance towards such cases, he claimed.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2021