Beijing professor dismissed as sexual harassment allegations spark campus activism

BEIJING: A professor in China accused of sexually harassing students under his supervision has been removed from teaching posts by a top Beijing university, in a case that has sparked national media coverage and a nascent #MeToo movement in the country.

Beihang University said in a statement on its official Weibo account late on Thursday that an investigation found the professor, Chen Xiaowu, had engaged in ‘sexual harassment behaviour’ that seriously violated professional ethics and the school’s code of conduct.

The Beijing Youth Daily had previously reported Chen saying he had done ‘nothing illegal’, but Reuters was unable to reach him for comment as the university declined to provide Chen’s telephone number and said he was refusing interviews.

The university’s investigation was launched after former Beihang student Luo Xixi publicly accused Chen of sexually harassing her 13 years ago in an online blog that promptly went viral after it was posted on Jan 1.

In the post, Luo said Chen made an unwanted sexual advance after luring her to his sister’s house, and that he only relented after she burst into tears and said she was a virgin.

Luo also accused Chen of harassing several other students.

Luo, who now lives in the United States, said she was inspired by the #MeToo social media movement that started in October in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations in the US entertainment industry, and encouraged others to come forward and share their own experiences under the hashtag.

Luo did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Chen’s dismissal. —