Central Washington University is under intense scrutiny following recent revelations that administrators at the school attempted to conceal sexual harassment by giving aggrieved students “hush money” in the form of free tuition.
According to a report in The Seattle Times, university officials attempted to conceal embarrassing details about harassment by a renowned music professor against an undergraduate student enrolled in the music program by promising her free tuition for at least one year. In exchange, they required that she agreed to stay quiet about the harassment allegations and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
In an interview, the woman (identified only by the initials E.F.) detailed several occasions where the professor behaved inappropriately toward her, including instances where he kissed her on the cheek and told her he loved her during private lessons, as well as one time he placed his hand on her thigh.
After E.F. complained to Central Washington University administrators, an internal investigation was launched which eventually led to university officials concluding that the professor was not guilty of harassment or misconduct. However, documents obtained by The Seattle Times indicate that the investigators may not have given the investigation the level of seriousness it required. Reports indicate that one of the investigators involved in the case told a university official that there was more to the professor than his behavior, and that while he was abusing his position, the investigator told her, “I just want to tie a bow on this, I’ve got other things to do.”
After releasing their findings, Central Washington University subsequently dropped E.F. from her music department major. When she sued in retaliation, the university offered her free tuition and other benefits as part of the aforementioned agreement.
While E.F. was silent about her treatment for several years, she has now come forward because she believes the university violated their non-disclosure agreement. The Seattle Times has also uncovered other instances of the same professor harassing at least one other student, although no one besides E.F. was offered hush money.
John Patrick (@john_pat_rick) is a graduate of Canisius College and Georgia Southern University. He interned for Red Alert Politics during the summer of 2012 and has continued to contribute regularly.
