News Articles

UCLA had 25 cases of faculty, staff and employees who sexually harassed university community members between 2013 and 2016, the second-highest number among the 10 UC campuses, according to documents released by University of California campuses Tuesday.

There were 113 total cases in which UC faculty, staff and employees were found to have violated the University’s sexual harassment policies.

Of the 25 cases at UCLA, 12 resulted in dismissal, settlement resulting in resignation or nonrenewal of contracts. Other cases resulted in suspension without pay, a fine of up to $7,500, a no-contact order with the complainant, demotion or sexual assault training.

The undergraduate student government passed a resolution last Tuesday that recommends the University of California Office of the President make its peer review committee, which intervenes if the university fails to respond adequately to allegations, more diverse.

The resolution also proposes several recommendations to the UC-wide Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment policy revision, which members of Bruins Against Sexual Harassment think lacks transparency.

BASH proposed the resolution in response to UCLA’s settlement of Professor Gabriel Piterberg’s sexual harassment case […]

…many women on campus, especially sexual assault survivors, are feeling more targeted than ever – an issue only exacerbated by the fact that both the University of California and UCLA administrations don’t seem to sympathize with their concerns.

Instead of pitting students against one another by trying to silence their protests, the UC must provide a just and speedy trial to address any and all allegations of sexual assault, and enact a zero-tolerance policy for any staff member or student found to be in violation of sexual misconduct policies.

Though the UC system has been touting its newly appointed Title IX coordinator, the administration’s plans have been vague and will be ineffective should the system refuse to prosecute further sexual assault cases. The administration may find it in its best interest to actually listen to the protesters’ concerns rather than try to threaten them with police presence or an “investigation” should things turn heated.

March and demonstrate. Keep the momentum alive and keep the message going in your community, like the members of Bruins Against Sexual Harassment for instance. While sexual assault is a national issue, BASH has taken an active role addressing the issue on a local front, by challenging the assumed tolerance for sexual violence on UCLA campus. By specifically demanding the administration fire Gabriel Piterberg, a professor accused of sexual harassment, both the students and administration can set examples for the nation as a whole.

“If administration thinks the protests are going to stop, they’re wrong,” said Zeke Trautenberg, a Spanish and Portuguese graduate student, head steward of United Auto Workers Local 2865, member of BASH and one of the protesters involved. “We are going to keep fighting.”

We can fight sexual violence, and other national issues like police brutality, the threat on women’s rights and racism directly on a local level.

Some protesters, including Trautenberg, also linked Trump’s inauguration to the controversy around professor Gabriel Piterberg. Students have criticized UCLA’s decision to allow Piterberg to teach despite being accused of sexual harassment and assault. [Editor’s note: BASH officially participated to the march and gave a speech that you can read here]