An Ohio University engineering professor accused of sexually harassing three students was denied appeal Jan. 22 by OU President Duane Nellis.
Sunggyu Lee, a professor in the chemical and biomolecular engineering department, filed for appeal in December. The policies that were violated include sexual harassment, sexual harassment by hostile environment and retaliatory harassment.
OU’s Equity and Civil Rights Compliance Office investigated and substantiated the claims of harassment and retaliation, but did not substantiate claims regarding harassment by hostile environment.
“With this standard in mind, I have decided that there is sufficient cause to initiate loss of tenure proceedings under Handbook Section II.D.5,” Nellis said in a letter denying Lee’s appeal.
Lee’s case was sent to the engineering department for further proceedings.
The university would not provide details of the allegations due to a recent change in university processing for Title IX records, Carly Leatherwood, OU spokeswoman, said.
The Post requested Lee’s appeal, three reports of student complaints and accusations against Lee, memorandums of finding, a disposition of the case and Lee's university statement. The university, however, has only supplied summary of the case and not the redacted version of the records.
University officials said in December that the ECRC stopped providing reports regarding Title IX violations reported by a student. The changes came after previously redacted cases alluded more information to the public than intended, Leatherwood said.
