In a significant development, Harvard University has reached a settlement with three graduate students who sued the institution in 2022, alleging that it mishandled their reports of sexual harassment by a renowned anthropology professor, John Comaroff.
As widely published by notable newspapers across the globe including the New York Times, the case, which has drawn widespread attention and led to student protests, concluded this week, according to court records.
The students, Margaret Czerwienski, Lilia Kilburn, and Amulya Mandava, filed the lawsuit in federal court in February 2022. They accused Mr. Comaroff, who was then a 79-year-old professor, of using his position to “exploit aspiring scholars,” claiming that he had “kissed and groped students without their consent.”
Furthermore, they asserted that when they reported his behavior, he “threatened to sabotage” their academic careers. Mr. Comaroff has denied all allegations made against him.
The legal proceedings entered mediation late last year, culminating in the recent settlement. However, the details of the agreement have not been made public.
A court filing on Wednesday indicated that both parties agreed to dismiss the case without any associated costs, marking the end of a case that had spurred an internal investigation at Harvard.
Sanford Heisler Sharp, the law firm representing the students, issued a statement praising the bravery of their clients.
“We’re proud of our clients’ courage in coming forward, speaking up about their experiences, and shedding light on important issues. We are glad that our clients will now be able to move on with their lives and careers,” the statement read.
As of Thursday, Harvard and the legal team representing the university had not responded to requests for comment. Lawyers representing Mr. Comaroff, who were not involved in the lawsuit’s defense, also declined to comment.
The sexual harassment allegations against Mr. Comaroff first came to public attention in 2020, following a report by The Harvard Crimson, the university’s student newspaper.
Mr. Comaroff, who joined Harvard in 2012, was a distinguished professor in African American studies and anthropology until his retirement in June. In his retirement announcement, Mr. Comaroff described the lawsuit as “meritless,”.
“I was falsely accused of harassment by one Harvard student, and of threatening retaliation against two others. After a 14-month investigation, I was found not responsible for any of those accusations, save for one instance of verbal impropriety,” he stated.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. Comaroff’s alleged misconduct included sexually harassing Ms. Kilburn on multiple occasions, including a 2017 incident in which he allegedly kissed her without consent when she was a prospective student.
The lawsuit further claims that Mr. Comaroff threatened to derail the careers of Ms. Czerwienski and Ms. Mandava after they informed faculty members about reports of his misconduct.
Despite the students’ complaints, Harvard reportedly did not initiate an investigation until The Crimson published reports of Mr. Comaroff’s behavior. Following these reports, the university placed Mr. Comaroff on administrative leave.
In his statement, Mr. Comaroff asserted that the lawsuit had no bearing on his decision to retire but expressed that the allegations and ensuing litigation had been
“extremely hurtful given my decades of dedication to my teaching and my students,” Comaroff lamented.
