A former USC business major has tentatively settled a lawsuit against the university and a professor, accusing him of three years of sexual harassment and assault. Attorneys informed the judge on Monday that a “conditional” resolution had been reached, with a request for dismissal to be filed by November 29. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The plaintiff, who filed the suit in April 2021, was in her early 20s when the alleged abuse occurred. The lawsuit accused the professor of repeated sexual assaults and ongoing harassment and named three other victims.
In response to the lawsuit, USC released a statement emphasizing its commitment to addressing sexual harassment allegations. The university stated that it takes such allegations seriously and has a process for reviewing reports and providing support through its Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX. USC denied any liability and claimed the plaintiff was not entitled to damages. Both the plaintiff and the professor are Korean-American, and the plaintiff was a student at USC’s Marshall School of Business when she was hired as the professor’s assistant.
The lawsuit alleged that the professor used his position of power to sexually abuse and harass the plaintiff over the course of three years. The plaintiff claimed that he kissed her and groped her without consent and made inappropriate comments. The alleged abuses occurred on USC’s premises and while she was in her role as a student and employee. The plaintiff stated that the final assault took place in April 2019, just before her graduation. She also accused the professor of victimizing at least three other young Korean-American women at USC.
The plaintiff described the professor as a trusted and respected figure at USC who was given complete access to young female student assistants. She claimed that USC had received previous complaints about the professor’s behavior but still allowed him to be a supervisor to young female students. The alleged abuses have had a profound impact on the plaintiff’s ability to interact with others and have damaged her employment and professional development, causing financial harm.
The lawsuit seeks to hold USC accountable for enabling the professor’s actions and to recover damages for the plaintiff’s suffering. The settlement agreement, which remains conditional, brings the case closer to resolution.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
