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Handling Of UK Harassment Cases Continues To Draw Scrutiny

Josh James
/
WUKY

The Lexington Herald-Leader has highlighted two cases between 2012 and 2013 where former professors accused of violating the school’s harassment and discrimination codes reportedly left the university with settlement deals promising that UK would not disclose those allegations to future employers.

UK is currently locked in ahigh-profile legal dispute with the school’s student newspaper over records pertaining to a former associate professor accused of sexual harassment. In a recent interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education, UK President Eli Capilouto was asked if the school was obligated to alert other employers to such allegations.

"I think it would depend on the circumstances around a particular case," he told reporter Jack Stripling. "Now what I do hope is that the step we're taking would be embraced by the larger academic community, because if everybody's asking that question or asking someone to complete a questionnaire on those issues, I think we would fulfill our responsibilities to one another."

UK officials plan to implement  surveys for new faculty about their past sexual or research misconduct.

In the cases brought to light by the Herald-Leader, two former faculty members – earth science professor Christopher Romanek and Anthony Worlbarst with the Clinical Science Department – exited with promises that the school would not discuss allegations against them with potential employers.

Both have strongly denied the accusations.

UK spokesman Jay Blanton tells WUKY he can’t address specific cases but notes that the school occasionally faces a difficult balancing act when seeking to remove a tenured employee.

"Sometimes you're left with the option of either settlement to get that threat off campus or engaging in a lengthy process where that person remains on campus, remains being paid, and that can go on for a very long time," he explains. "That's not a perfect system, but that's the system we have and we're working with faculty to reform it."

Between 2011 and 2016, UK officials investigated 57 sexual harassment and discrimination complaints. 40 percent of those cases ended in dismissal.

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.
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