University of Iowa Agrees to Settle a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

The University of Iowa agreed to a $130,000 settlement of a lawsuit filed by a former student who claimed that the university did not mount an adequate response after it learned that a professor was sexually harassing women students.

The student admitted that she allowed a political science professor to fondle her breasts in exchange for a higher grade. She was awarded an A+ in the class but the next day her aunt reported the incident to the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity. According to the suit, no immediate action was taken and three other women were harassed in the following days.

The professor committed suicide in 2008 after he was charged with trading sexual favors for higher grades from the plaintiff and three other women students.