Education Department concludes Montgomery College sexual harassment case.

Casper Wong June 28, 2023 Education & Career

Sexual Harassment Investigation Resolved Against Professor at Montgomery College

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has resolved a sexual harassment investigation against a professor at Montgomery College’s Takoma/Silver Spring Campus.

Professor Conducts Inappropriate Lesson on Medical Assessment

The agency said the professor had female students remove their shirts and wear only their bras in the guise of role-playing a medical assessment. He then made comments about their bodies. The department said the lesson did not require those comments or the removal of the students’ clothing.

School’s Response and Investigation

“We appreciate the Department of Education’s thorough investigation and fully support the determinations and resolutions outlined in its report made public this afternoon,” said Marcus Rosano, the director of media relations & public relations at Montgomery College.

Following student reports, the college placed the professor, whom the Education Department did not name publicly, on paid administrative leave and conducted an investigation. The Title IX Coordinator notified all students in the professor’s class, offering assistance in reporting the incident to the police.

Hostile Environment Confirmed and Professor Fired

After interviewing students, witnesses, and the department chair, the college confirmed the existence of a hostile environment based on sex and fired the professor.

Administrators told the student who initially filed the complaint that the matter had been resolved. And they offered supportive services, including counseling, academic assistance, and tuition reimbursement to affected students.

Failure to Address the Hostile Work Environment

But they did not notify all affected students about the matter’s resolution or the steps taken to address the hostile work environment — which are actions required by Title IX. The Education Department had been investigating that compliance failure.

Resolution Agreement and Required Actions

As part of a resolution agreement, Montgomery College is now required to notify all students in the professor’s class in writing. Additionally, the college must share the results of its 2022 Title IX climate survey with the agency’s Office of Civil Rights and provide a narrative summary of the steps taken to address concerns raised by the survey.

Statement by Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

“The shameful underlying facts in this investigation — of a college professor subjecting his entire class to sexual harassment as a condition of instruction — are galling and categorically unacceptable under Title IX,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, who also thanked the college for its swift action in a statement.