UWI lecturer claims victimisation

By Nakinskie Robinson 

   

The apparent standoff between a female University of the West Indies lecturer who filed a sexual harassment complaint against a high ranking faculty member, has toppled over into the classroom.

 

The lecturer, who has been teaching and leading several major projects at the university for more than 15 years, complained about public inappropriate comments and sexual advances by the male senior official.  

 

The lecturer, who we have chosen not to name, alleges that since the initial report, she has been a victim of sabotage. 

 

She revealed that since the allegations were made public, she is also being demoted. 

 

"I have a permanent contract and the contract promotion cycle actually would automatically lead to you being promoted by virtue of working here for what, more than 15, whenever years, right? They're actually trying to demote me. And I refuse to sign the contract and the administration is actually weaponising the campus police and security to intimidate me to sign the contract," she alleged. 

 

"So because I refuse to sign that, the new principal is pretending as if he can enact a new legislation where I have to sign the contract now. The contract negotiation process can go on up to a year. The last contract negotiation went on for nine months. So they going try to tell you that I did not sign my contract, so I don't have a contract? A whole lot of people still don't sign in their contract," insisted the academic.   

 

Meanwhile, several students and other staff members have been reportedly left at the mercy of the official and other school administrators.

 

The complainant also claimed that since last Friday, she, several students, and other staff members have been barred from entering a faculty building.

 

"The interns are actually being affected, other staff members who are doing research and meeting in the lab. So they're just selectively sabotaging anybody who is affiliated with me. So I suspect they'll just keep locking us out indefinitely," she lamented. 

 

She has not been able to teach since the start of the new semester in September.

 

In a video seen by Radio Jamaica News, a UWI campus security officer told a staff member who was accompanied by students that he was instructed not to allow her entry to the facility.

 

The lecturer also said campus security officers have been intimidating students, and interrogating her about her work contract. 

 

Some of her students, she said, were also de-registered last semester. 

 

"They're basically saying that I'm incompetent - a person with five degrees, two doctorates. I have four degrees from UWI." 

 

In February when our newscentre first aired the story, Campus Registrar Dr. Donovan Stanberry said a disciplinary hearing would have been held that month.

 

But, the complainant told Radio Jamaica News that the hearing is still outstanding, adding that there have been several postponements.

 

She said the next date given is in 2025.