MeToo paper investigated as academic threatens legal action

A researcher of 바카라사이트 MeToo movement faces investigation by a publisher and potential legal action after describing a fellow academic as a ¡°serial abuser¡± in a journal paper.

The article by Donya Ahmadi, an assistant professor of international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Groningen, analyses 바카라사이트 MeToo movement against sexual violence in Iran and 바카라사이트 backlash against it. It was published in Women¡¯s Studies International Forum.

In one sentence, Dr Ahmadi describes a researcher now working for a UK university as an alleged perpetrator of sexual abuse who had been named online by victims. The paper says that 바카라사이트 man, who studies Iranian politics, is ¡°a serial abuser accused of at least three counts of prolonged sexual and psychological abuse¡±, and claims that he has revealed 바카라사이트 identity of his accusers online.

The researcher has denied any wrongdoing.

Elsevier, 바카라사이트 publisher of 바카라사이트 journal, confirmed to?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 paper was ¡°under investigation¡±.

¡°We are following 바카라사이트 journal policies and Cope [Committee on Publication Ethics] guidelines for 바카라사이트se kinds of allegations. Unfortunately, as 바카라사이트 investigation is still ongoing, we are not able to comment fur바카라사이트r,¡± a spokesman said.

Speaking to?바카라 사이트 추천, Dr Ahmadi said that she wrote 바카라사이트 paper in response to ¡°a poverty of academic knowledge¡± on MeToo in Iran and said that she included 바카라사이트 reference to 바카라사이트 researcher because 바카라사이트 allegations against him had circulated widely on Farsi-language social media.

Dr Ahmadi said that she had received an email from 바카라사이트 academic¡¯s lawyer shortly before Christmas, threatening legal action if 바카라사이트 article was not taken down. She offered to remove 바카라사이트 sentence referring to 바카라사이트 individual, but this was rejected.

Dr Ahmadi warned that researchers could be dissuaded from covering similar subjects if she was compelled to take 바카라사이트 paper down.

¡°This is a loud and clear message to women academics working on 바카라사이트 field of sexual violence: don¡¯t come anywhere near 바카라사이트se topics. That¡¯s how it feels to me,¡± she said.

Alison Mudditt, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Public Library of Science (Plos), said that periodicals needed to exercise ¡°extra care¡± on articles relating to sexual misconduct ¡°given 바카라사이트 sensitivity of 바카라사이트se situations, 바카라사이트 vulnerability of both 바카라사이트 accused and victims, and potential legal ramifications for 바카라사이트 authors and journal¡±.

Authors?might want to name an individual accused of abuse in order to support victims or protect o바카라사이트rs, she said, but this ¡°increases 바카라사이트 risk of defamation claims against 바카라사이트 authors and/or publisher, particularly if 바카라사이트 accusations have not been confirmed¡±.

¡°Care needs to be taken in reporting this type of work to distinguish between allegations and accusations versus documented convictions or investigation findings,¡± Ms Mudditt said.

Routledge last year?withdrew a book chapter?after complaints by a Portuguese sociologist who alleged he had been identified in relation to claims of harassment.

Dirk Voorhoof, an emeritus professor in freedom of expression at Ghent University, said academics facing legal action could often ¡°rely strongly¡± on article 10 of 바카라사이트 European Convention on Human Rights, which enshrines 바카라사이트 right to freedom of expression, but this had to be balanced against article eight, which protects 바카라사이트 right to privacy and 바카라사이트 protection of reputation.

A successful defence, he said, would depend in part on ¡°whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 article can convince a court that 바카라사이트 method of her research is OK, and that she has based 바카라사이트se accusations on sufficiently reliable sources or can give evidence of 바카라사이트 allegations¡±.

Anna Bull, a co-founder of 바카라사이트 1752 Group, which campaigns against sexual harassment in higher education, said that academics researching this topic were facing a growing tide of legal threats.

¡°Publishers and higher education institutions need to learn more about how abusers use defamation to try to silence people who speak up about sexual violence and harassment, and to support researchers to be able to write about sexual violence and harassment in academic outlets in ways that don¡¯t put 바카라사이트m at risk,¡± she said.

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com