The San Jose Mercury reports:
As fury grows over reports that esteemed astronomer Geoff Marcy sexually harassed female students for years, UC Berkeley on Monday defended how it has handled complaints against the professor.
The claims first surfaced publicly late last week when BuzzFeed published a story on a confidential university investigation that concluded in June and resulted in a warning. According to BuzzFeed, four women complained that Marcy had repeatedly subjected students to unwanted advances, including kisses, groping and massages. The piece reported that the harassment was an open secret among astronomers.
There's more:
"While I do not agree with each complaint that was made, it is clear that my behavior was unwelcomed by some women," Marcy wrote. "I take full responsibility and hold myself completely accountable for my actions and the impact they had. For that and to the women affected, I sincerely apologize."
More than 2,000 signatures were listed as of Monday on an online petition posted late last week that declared support for "the people who were targets of Geoff Marcy's inappropriate behavior and those who have spoken publicly about it. I agree that sexual harassment has no place in our community," it states.
The incidents are believed to have occurred between 2001 and 2010 with students who have since graduated; the university first received the complaints in July 2014, said campus spokeswoman Janet Gilmore.
Faculty have more protections than students who are accused of violating campus policies, and they undergo a sanctioning process that includes a hearing before their peers. The university administration cannot unilaterally fire a professor, for instance, while it can expel a student.
The great moments of tenure in Blue America!
