AUD drops name of teacher from panel after objections

University Delhi (AUD) has dropped the name of a teacher as the chairperson of the organising committee of its annual Ambedkar memorial lecture, following objections from students over accusations of sexual harassment against him.

Lawrence Liang, who was found guilty of allegedly sexually harassing a woman PhD scholar of another institution in March, was removed from all administrative posts for two years.

Liang was dean of AUD’s school of law and governance. He had challenged his conviction by an internal body of AUD in a court and the matter is subjudice.

According to a notification issued by the administration on December 3, the vice-chancellor had constituted a committee for the 11th Ambedkar memorial lecture on April 14, 2019, with Lawrence Liang as its chairperson.

The university issued another notification on December 7, dropping Liang’s name from the organising committee. “The Ambedkar memorial lecture is the most prestigious event of the university and appointing a professor who was found guilty of sexual harassment as the chairperson of its organising body was shocking. We protested the move and demanded the administration to remove his name,” said Dhanpal, councillor in the student council.

Liang said: “On receipt of the notification of the constitution of the committee on the 3rd, I communicated to the registrar on the 4th, requesting that I be excused from the responsibility, and they reconstituted the committee accordingly.”

NEWDELHI:Ambedkar