Female staff at LSE resign as they accuse the university of botching sexual ... trends now
Female staff at the London School of Economics (LSE) are resigning in the wake of what they say are botched investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The top social sciences institution has been accused by some of its own academics of letting them down after staff accused of multiple sexual assaults and harassment were allowed to continue teaching after the allegations were not upheld.
Staff at LSE claim the complaints system for reporting misconduct is geared in favour of protecting senior faculty members rather than helping alleged victims of harassment and abuse - and have launched a petition calling for it to be overhauled.
HandsOff LSE, a student-led campaign to improve the university's sexual misconduct policies, began collecting signatures for its appeal on Tuesday; it has already accumulated over 600 names.
LSE says it has already undertaken a review of its sexual misconduct reporting processes and is committed to creating an 'environment...free of all types of harassment and violence'.
The London School of Economics has been accused by former staff of botching investigations into allegations of sexual harassment
However, staff who spoke to student newspaper The Beaver say the measures put in place - including a specialist member of staff with expertise in dealing with complaints of sexual misconduct - are not aiding and supporting victims.
Taylor Sherman, a former professor at the institution, told the publication: 'The complaint system (at LSE) seems to be set up to protect the faculty, and does not just let these abuses happen, but discriminates against the people who complain.
'The very top levels of the school were completely unwilling to address discrimination, victimisation and abuses of power.'
She quit in September 2023 after becoming dissatisfied with how LSE dealt with a misconduct complaint against a faculty member who is said to have faced five formal complaints and nine informal allegations - including from students.
The unnamed academic returned to teaching at the university after the allegations were not upheld, according to Ms Sherman.
One PhD student, identified under the pseudonym Jane, said the academic had tried to kiss her while on a weekend-long trip for departmental staff and students. She was one of four students reported to
