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More Iowa troubles

By Erin Buzuvis, Sudha Setty, and Kristine Newhall

A University of Iowa professor has been charged with sexual harassment after asking female students (via email) for a chance to see and grope their breasts--in exchange for an A. This blog post, by Zuska, offers the cynical take that we here at the Title IX blog try to refrain from most of the time but do enjoy reading. A more news-like article from the Chronicle of Higher Education about the situation goes through some of the facts including the now mandatory sexual harassment training the university is instituting for all faculty and staff members.

One blog commenter asks whether such training (which is already mandatory for anyone in a supervisory position at Iowa) would have really prevented this particular situation, i.e. most people know it's wrong to ask to see someone's breasts in exchange for a good grade. True, but such training has been proven to be effective in situations that are not so clear-cut.

Of course, in the end, Zuska's frustration over this situation (and some others cited in the same post) that we still have such egregious behavior in our educational institutions 35+ years after the passage of Title IX is understandable.

Full post as published by Title IX Blog on August 18, 2008 (boomark / email).