Harvard Professor Placed on Leave after Sexual Harassment Allegations

BOSTON (MA)
Boston Magazine

March 5, 2018

By Spencer Buell

More than a dozen women accused Jorge Domínguez of misconduct.

After years of allegations against a prominent government professor emerged in news reports, Harvard announced Sunday that Jorge Domínguez has been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is underway.

More than a dozen women have now accused Domínguez— who is chairman of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies and a senior advisor of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs—of behavior that includes groping, unwanted touching and kissing, sending flirtatious emails, and using his position of power and influence at the university to solicit sexual favors.

“I write to announce that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) has placed Jorge Domínguez on administrative leave, pending a full and fair review of the facts and circumstances regarding allegations that have come to light,” FAS Dean Michael D. Smith wrote in a letter to staff and students Sunday night, according to the Harvard Crimson. “I want to state unequivocally that the FAS will not tolerate sexual harassment. I encourage anyone who has witnessed sexual harassment in the FAS, recently or in the past, to come forward and share their experiences with our Title IX coordinators.”

So far, 18 women have come forward with reports of harassment since the Chronicle of Higher Education published a bombshell report on an alleged pattern of predatory behavior from Domínguez that spanned decades. The allegations span from 1979 to 2015. Many women told the Chronicle they were worried what impact going public with the allegations would have on their careers.

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