UC Berkeley professor files lawsuit against students he allegedly sexually harassed
He accused them of defamation
A UC Berkeley assistant professor has filed lawsuits against the three students he is accused of sexually harassing between 2014 and 2015.
Blake Wentworth, a faculty member of the South and South East Asian Studies Department. The newly-filed suits involves Erin Bennett, and Kathleen Gutierrez, graduate students who accused the professor of sexually harassing them while studying and working with him.
Erin Bennett’s case against Wentworth was dismissed, while in Gutierrez’s case it was determined he had violated university policies. A demonstration and public news conference was held with the survivors earlier this week.
The third woman is Nicole Hemenway, who had Wentworth as her undergraduate thesis advisor. The lawsuits accuse the three students of defamation, and making false statements against the professor.
Filing the suits comes after the professor already being found in violation of the university’s sexual harassment policies by an internal investigation nearly a year ago.
The sexual harassment case against Wentworth has yet to be completely resolved, while decisions about how to discipline his actions are reviewed and finalized. He is currently not teaching any classes, and remains on paid leave.
The suits also come on the heels of one of another lawsuit filed by Sujit Choudhry, ex-Dean of the Berkeley Law School. Choudhry is suing the school for discrimination in the second investigation of his sexual harassment against a student.
The original case and subsequent suits have been major obstacles to all of the women’s education. Hemenway said on Wednesday: “This is a barrier to entry I never knew existed.”
However, Hemenway added she would not be intimidated and the lawsuit would not stop her from speaking out.