Two women graduate students at the University of California, Los Angeles have filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the university. The women claim that a male history professor had made suggestive comments and pressed against them in a sexual manner. According to the lawsuit, when the women complained to university officials, they were told to keep quiet and not pursue a formal investigation.
UCLA released a statement which read in part, “The facts in this case are complex, and due to privacy rights of all involved, we are prohibited from making further comment.” The university added that it “is committed to providing an environment free from harassment and discrimination and ensuring due process for all members of our community.”
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit told the Los Angeles Times, that “there’s a huge power play in the hierarchy in graduate school programs between professors and students, and we’re hoping by putting this into the open there will be more equity in how females in academia are treated.”