NUS Prof Resigns After Sexual Harassment Claims, Employee Allegedly Faced Retaliation For Reporting

NUS Employee Given “Soft Warnings” From NUS & EAI Management For Reports

2020 has seen its fair share of sexual harassment cases. Most recently, Singapore DJ Dee Kosh found himself facing similar allegations.

Perhaps hearing victims speak up about their experiences also gave others the courage to speak out too.

In August, Charlotte, an employee at NUS East Asian Institute (EAI) shared on Twitter about how an ex-Director had allegedly sexually harassed her in 2018.

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The NUS EAI professor was given a warning and has since resigned.

However, beyond that, Charlotte claimed that she also faced retaliation from her employers when she informed them about a police report she had lodged against the director.

NUS EAI is now investigating these allegations. Here’s what we know of the case so far.

NUS Professor given stern warning for outrage of modesty

According to Charlotte’s tweet, she was first harassed by the professor in May 2018 — her first month working at NUS EAI.

However, Charlotte only lodged a police report against Professor Zheng after struggling with it for a year.

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The sexual harassment case concluded this May and the Professor received a stern warning for Outrage of Modesty.

Professor Zheng also resigned from NUS EAI and has taken leave until his contract expires in late September, according to AsiaOne.

At the time of this article, he is currently still listed as a Research Professor on NUS EAI’s website.

Allegedly faced “retaliation” after reporting case

Although the case has finally come to a close, the ordeal is far from over for Charlotte.

Charlotte had apparently informed NUS EAI of the police reports she made regarding the incident.

However, she claims NUS officers repeatedly asked her to describe the harassment and questioned her intentions.

In a Twitter thread, Charlotte expressed how she was given a “soft warning” from both NUS and EAI management.

They allegedly also told her to stay away from other female colleagues who were similarly harassed by Professor Zheng.

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She laments that the “bullying and retaliations” at NUS EAI continued.

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Charlotte alluded to the larger problem of Zheng being on the institute’s management board.

She alleges that she believes EAI management turned a blind eye to numerous accusations against the professor. When victims reported these problems, they were allegedly “bullied and then expelled” from the institution.

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Her frustration and exhaustion towards the issue grew over time, she shared empathically in her post.

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Charlotte shares that she’s at a loss as she doesn’t know how to resolve the situation or figure out who she can seek help from.

NUS EAI conducts internal investigations into claims

According to AsiaOne, NUS EAI has since issued a statement claiming it is aware of the “wide-ranging” claims against them.

The institution is now conducting internal investigations to address the allegations.

NUS EAI also emphasised that they take allegations of staff misconduct very seriously.

According to TODAY, the institute has been providing support and assistance to employees who have been affected by the matter and will continue to do so.

Creating safe spaces for all

Finding the courage to speak out on sexual harassment is no easy task, especially for cases within the same workplace.

Kudos to Charlotte for doing so, a feat that we’re sure took immense strength and persistence.

Now that we know social media can offer us a way to share our experiences and gain strength from the community, the onus lies within each of us to ensure victims feel safe enough to share their experiences and to take each incident seriously.

Featured image adapted from Google Maps.