Colleges drag feet on sex code

A Canadian psychology professor charged with sexual assault has been suspended for a year without pay from his university.

Richard Freeman, whose alleged crimes of sexual assault and gross indecency date back to 1981 and 1983, when he was counselling teenage girls at his private eating-disorder clinic, will be tried next January. He will plead not guilty, his lawyer said. The College of Psychologists of British Colombia has set a hearing of its own.

Although still innocent under 바카라사이트 law and free to practise privately, Dr Freeman was found to have violated his university's harassment policy, according to an internal investigative committee at British Columbia's Simon Fraser University. The committee came under criticism by local media for taking three years from 바카라사이트 initial complaints before suspending 바카라사이트 Can$73,000-a-year (Pounds 35,800) professor.

"Three years for resolution of such a matter is a long time, particularly when 바카라사이트 respondent continues to work in 바카라사이트 very field where 바카라사이트 alleged misconduct took place," read a Vancouver Sun editorial. One reason for 바카라사이트 length of 바카라사이트 tribunal is 바카라사이트 complicated nature of 바카라사이트 sexual harassment policy, says Simon Fraser spokesman Ken Mennell.

"It is delicate when you need both to protect 바카라사이트 rights of 바카라사이트 accused and deal with 바카라사이트 matter justly," Mr Mennell said. "I think we have done a reasonable job."

Ninety-seven per cent of Simon Fraser's harassment cases have been dealt with by an informal process, according to its officer's last report in 1994, which logged 266 sexual and non-sexual complaints in 19 months. In 바카라사이트 Freeman case, certain details surfaced only in 바카라사이트 local media.

The name of 바카라사이트 alleged perpetrator, 바카라사이트 charges and 바카라사이트 severity of 바카라사이트 case were left out of 바카라사이트 university's newspaper, 바카라사이트 SFU News. Some feminists have called for a more independent sexual harassment office. About three-quarters of universities have harassment offices on campus.

Susan Russell, a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 10,000-member Canadian Federation of University Women, said that some universities were trying to protect 바카라사이트 status quo.