UR Harrasment Investigation

A complainant in the EEOC sexual harassment case against a University of Rochester professor will soon be leaving her job at the school.

Jessica Cantlon and her husband Brad Mahon, both in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department will be leaving for positions at Carnegie Mellon University next fall.

Cantlon says they told university they would consider leaving if the school didn’t make active attempts to review their sexual harassment procedures as well as conflicts of interest in their investigation into the incidents the EEOC complain brought up.

An open letter from faculty leaders at the University of Rochester is critical of how the university is handling policies dealing with sexual harassment.

The critique comes from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and it was published this week in the campus newspaper, the Campus Times.

Nine professors and students who filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the University of Rochester three months ago, on Friday filed a lawsuit against the university, President Joel Seligman and Provost Robert Clark.

(the court papers are at the end of this story)

The 192-page complaint echoes many of the allegations contained in the EEOC complaint, many of which centered around Professor Florian Jaeger, in the university’s Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department. Jaeger has denied the charges, and was placed on administrative leave.

The Special Committee of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees announced Wednesday that their investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against professor Florian Jaeger won't be complete until Early January.

The report was originally supposed to be completed by the end of this year.

The Special Committee said it has been advised by Mary Jo White, the former US attorney commissioned to conduct the investigation about the delay, and that she and her team say the will issue their report no later than January 12th.

The law firm representing professors and graduate students at the University of Rochester who have filed a complaint alleging they were harmed by the actions of Professor Florian Jaeger and the way the university responded now say they plan to file a federal lawsuit next month.

Jaeger faces allegations of sexual harassment, and he has been on administrative leave since September.

The petition urging researchers around the world to discourage students from attending the University of Rochester is gaining more attention.

The controversy over allegations of harassment made against Professor Florian Jaeger was picked up in a story by the Washington Post on Wednesday.

An open letter has been signed by a number of professors outside the University of Rochester condemning the administration for its response to allegations of sexual harassment.

Over 200 professors from universities and colleges both in the United States and abroad have signed a letter to the UR board of trustees saying, "In the present circumstances, they cannot in good conscience encourage students to pursue educational or employment opportunities at the University of Rochester." 

The University of Rochester is solidifying its commitment to Mary Jo White, the attorney chosen to conduct the independent investigation into an EEOC complaint against UR professor Florian Jaeger.