How Universities Fail to Protect Students

Jumping Off the Ivory Tower with Prof JulieMac

On today’s episode Julie talks to Heather Savigny, formerly Professor of Gender Studies at De Montfort University in Leicester in the United Kingdom. Heather supported a student – whom she had witnessed being sexually harassed by a male faculty member at a departmental social – in bringing a complaint. The result was not what Heather expected: she ended up leaving the university after being bullied and threatened with discipline for supporting the student, who was distraught when the man who harassed her returned to work despite the complaint being upheld. Heather’s experience is unfortunately consistent with what many students and faculty who become involved in trying to hold faculty sexual harassers to account describe. Heather’s most recent book, Cultural Sexism: The Politics of Feminist Rage in the #MeToo Era, is published by Bristol University Press. In Other News - Guest Other News Correspondent Randi Druzin shares the following stories: on March 18th, the Canadian government announced its support for Éducaloi, an organization that works for better access to justice in Quebec; in Ontario, the provincial government has announced a new multi-year plan, “Justice Accelerated,” to speed up access to the justice system; and The National Collaboration for Youth Mental Health has purchased the rights to the screenplay for “The Vexatious Litigant,” a satirical comedy about the life of a self-represented litigant who cannot afford a lawyer and who struggles to gain access to the justice system. For related links and more on this episode visit our website: https://representingyourselfcanada.com/how-universities-fail-to-protect-students/ Jumping Off the Ivory Tower is produced and hosted by Julie Macfarlane and Dayna Cornwall; production and editing by Brauntë Petric; Other News produced and hosted by Randi Druzin; promotion by Moya McAlister and the NSRLP team.