Doors shut on China prof amid MeToo

■ Professor allegedly linked to student’s sexual harassment, suicide

Beijing, April 8: Top universities in China have cut ties with a professor following outrage on social media after details were shared online of an alleged sexual assault that has been linked to a student’s suicide almost 20 years ago, according to state media.

Last week, a person claiming to be the student’s classmate accused Shen Yang, a language professor, of the assault and called for re- examination of the case. The alleged victim died in 1998. Shen could not be contacted on Sunday for comment.

Peking University, where Shen taught until 2011, said it served Shen a disciplinary warning based on a police report at the time, but is now re- examining the case.

The School of Liberal

Arts at Nanjing University and Shanghai Normal University, where Shen holds current roles, have cut ties with the professor on Saturday, said Xinhua.

“The punishment given by Peking University 20 years ago showed Shen had demerits in teaching ethics. Any form of punishment cannot erase what happened,” said the school in a statement cited by state news agency Xinhua.

It comes as Chinese students and professors are rallying around # MeToo, a global movement to combat sexual harassment and assault, despite heavyhanded online censorship and bans on open protests in the country.

The movement gathered steam in China when another professor at a Beijing university was accused of sexual harassment by a former student in a blog that went viral in December.

◗ Details were shared online of an alleged sexual assault that has been linked to a student’s suicide almost 20 years ago, according to state media ◗ Peking University, where Shen taught until 2011, said it served Shen a disciplinary warning based on a police report at the time, but is now re- examining the case