Columbia professor retires amid sexual harassment claims

Thomas Roma was director of the photography program at Columbia’s School of the Arts

On Wednesday, The New York Times published an article in which several former students of Professor Thomas Roma, director of the photography program at Columbia’s School of the Arts, claim he sexually harassed and engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with them.

One of the five accusers, Mozhan Marno, who was at the time of the incident a sophomore at Barnard College alleges that Roma proposed having an affair with him. Although at the beginning the relationship was consensual, Ms. Marno became alarmed once she learned about the professor's tendency to have relationships with students and lewd remarks after guaranteeing to act solely as a mentor that semester.

The accusations by several women against Professor Roma describe behavior said to have happened mostly in the 1990s and that followed a particular trend: the university professor started relationships with young students flattering and seducing them and later making sexual advances.

These accusations come in the midst of several accusations of sexual harassment against renowned professor of history, William V. Harris, who retired last month. Yesterday it was announced that Professor Roma would also be retiring from teaching.

More
Columbia University