Harvard students sue, claiming school ignored professor’s sexual harassment

Three graduate students at Harvard University have filed a lawsuit accusing the Ivy League school of ignoring for years the sexual harassment of students by a professor who they said threatened their academic careers if they reported him.

The students filed the lawsuit in federal court in Boston days after Harvard placed John Comaroff, an anthropology professor and expert on South Africa, on administrative leave following a university investigation into his conduct.

Margaret Czerwienski, Lilia Kilburn and Amulya Mandava alleged that Comaroff for years "kissed and groped students without their consent, made unwelcome sexual advances, and threatened to sabotage students' careers if they complained".

They said they were among the students who reported Comaroff to Harvard officials. Yet despite those warnings, Harvard watched as he retaliated by ensuring the students would have "trouble getting jobs", the lawsuit said.

In an investigation launched by the school, Harvard obtained Kilburn's private therapy records without her permission and revealed them to Comaroff, the suit alleges. The investigation was "neither 'prompt' nor 'equitable'; nor was it designed to 'stop discrimination, remedy any harm,' or 'prevent its recurrence,' as Harvard's written policies promise", the suit said.

Comaroff, who joined Harvard in 2012, was not named as a defendant. His lawyers - Norman Zalkind, Janet Halley, and Ruth O'Meara-Costello - in a joint statement said he "categorically denies ever harassing or retaliating against any student".

Harvard had no comment. In January, it placed Comaroff on leave for the spring semester and barred him from teaching required courses after finding he engaged in verbal conduct that violated its sexual harassment and professional conduct policies.