Two more women claim they were sexually harassed by esteemed Cambridge University professor

TW: This article includes mentions of SA.

Another two women have come forward with allegations against Cambridge professor Simon Goldhill. This follows a previous investigation which upheld a student’s complaint of sexual misconduct against Goldhill.

A report made in February found that Goldhill had breached the university code of conduct after giving a student a “slobbery” kiss and putting his tongue in her ear. The report also found he had stroked her body and touched the zip on her trousers. 

Since then, a further two women have alleged harassment by Goldhill. One woman claimed to have been victim to “incidents of unwanted physical contact” in the early 2000s during her studies at Cambridge. 

She said: “The worst of them was a forced embrace, a sloppy forced kiss, hands all over. These incidents happened over a few years in the early 2000s. They made me feel violated, stupid and disconnected from the world of scholars that I was trying to join. I felt I should keep it a secret.

“When I read about the new incident, I felt it all come back, all that shame, panic and the isolation of it. I felt guilty for not having tried to take an action long ago that might have helped to prevent this student from going through something similar. And I am angry because, since the article was published, I have been in the presence of colleagues making excuses for him.”

Goldhill denied these allegations, saying: “I have not been provided with any specific details. In any event, I deny any such wrongdoing occurred at the University of Cambridge.”

via Unsplash

Another woman alleged Goldhill groped her at an annual meeting for the SCS (Society for Classical Studies) in January 2024. 

She said: “It was crowded and I was standing with a friend when Goldhill and his group were trying to get by us — and as he did so he pressed himself against me from behind and grabbed my ass.

“I was so shocked. And then I turned around and I saw who it had been. It was basically a drive-by groping. I reached out and grabbed my friend’s arm. And I told him immediately, ‘Simon Goldhill just grabbed my ass’.”

The incident was raised with the SCS committee chair, Professor Ruth Scodel. The woman was advised not to discuss the allegation and was told that Goldhill “claims not to have any idea what she was talking about.”

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Professor Scodel maintains the SCS acted to ensure confidentiality, explaining: “There was little we could do without a complaint that would initiate our procedures, but I spoke to Goldhill, who suggested that the woman had mistaken someone else for him. We could not see what else we could do without a complaint […] Goldhill certainly was a big fish, which is presumably why she was so concerned to remain anonymous and did not want to make a formal complaint.”

A spokesperson for the Society for Classical Studies said: “The Society for Classical Studies takes seriously all reports of harassment and is committed to ensuring a safe environment for all attendees at our events. To that end, since 2019, we have made available an independent ombudsperson at all annual meetings to address attendees’ onsite concerns.

“The society’s bylaws (Bylaw §35) empower the committee on professional ethics to investigate incidents upon receipt of a formal written complaint. The committee did not receive a formal complaint in response to the incident described in the article, and accordingly could not conduct an inquiry. It is therefore inaccurate to claim that any individual was cleared by an investigation of the committee.”

Simon Goldhill, via Matthisvalerie under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Following the original investigation against Goldhill, concerns have been raised about Cambridge University’s approach to handling cases of sexual misconduct. The student-run organisation End Sexual Violence Cambridge advised the university to “review and, where necessary, adapt its policies to ensure the safeguarding of students remains a fundamental priority.”

Anna Bull, a founding member of the 1752 group – which campaigns against sexual misconduct in higher education – also criticised the university’s approach. 

“Cambridge’s handling of this case appears to prioritise staff data privacy over keeping students safe. This is wrong. They should not be hiding behind GDPR as an excuse for putting students at risk.”

A spokesperson for Simon Goldhill said: “Simon Goldhill has denied that there is any truth in either of these two anonymous reports. One was raised in 2024, and was turned away as unfounded by the ethics committee chair of the SCS. The other is an unsubstantiated claim of which he has no knowledge.”

Cambridge University, King’s College Cambridge and Cambridge Classics Faculty have been contacted for comment.

If you have been affected by the contents of this article, Cambridge and ARU students can call Cambridge Nightline on 01223 744444 between 7pm and 7am every day.

You can contact the Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123. Alternatively, you can contact Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service, by texting the word “Shout” to 85258. 

Featured image via YouTube and Unsplash