The National University of Singapore (NUS) has dismissed an academic staff on Dec. 1, 2020 for sexual misconduct.

Anonymous tip-off accusing professor of sexual misconduct

Theodore G. Hopf, a professor from the Department of Political Science in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) had been allegedly sexually harassing a student, according to an anonymous tip-off, NUS wrote in a press release.

After interviews with the student and Hopf, a No-Contact Order was issued to Prof Hopf on Sep. 15, 2020, prohibiting him from contacting any NUS student.

Hopf was later suspended and told to stay off-campus while investigations were ongoing.

Professor drank alcohol and sexually harassed student

From NUS's investigations, in August 2020, during a meeting between the student and Prof Hopf on campus, he offered and drank alcohol with the student, and also made an offensive remark about certain parts of the student’s anatomy.

According to findings by the Committee of Inquiry (COI) set up by NUS, Hopf admitted to making the remark.

During the same meeting, Hopf pulled the student forcefully towards him twice, during which the student resisted, moved back and told him to stop.

Hopf admitted to placing his hands on the shoulders of the student while facing the student, but denied pulling the student towards him.

However, the COI found the student’s account of the unwelcome physical contact to be credible.

Sent sex-text message to student in 2018

It was also found that the professor had sent a sex-text message to the student in October 2018.

Hopf admitted to sending the sex-text message to the student, but explained to the COI that the sex-text message was meant for someone else.

However, he did not clearly inform the student that the message was meant for someone else.

As he did not acknowledge or apologise for sending the message by mistake, the COI established that this was a serious professional misconduct.

"Prof Hopf was found to have sexually harassed the student, and this behaviour falls short of the standards of professionalism expected of a teaching staff of the university. Given the serious nature of the offences, the university decided to dismiss him on Dec. 1, 2020 with immediate effect," NUS wrote.

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Top image via NUS