Professor fired for sexual harassment of student on trip

Boston University has fired a tenured geology professor accused of violating the school’s sexual harassment policies during research trips to Antarctica in 1997 and from 1999 to 2000.

The Boston Globe reports BU President Robert A. Brown sent a letter to faculty Friday saying he reviewed the case and concluded David Marchant’s employment should be terminated. Brown’s decision overrules a recommendation from a faculty panel that concluded Marchant should be suspended without pay for three years and then allowed to return to BU.

A 13-month investigation concluded Marchant created a hostile working and living environment for a female graduate student at the Antarctica camp.

Marchant’s attorney Jeffrey Sankey says his client denies the allegations and is considering legal action. He says BU “capitulated” to pressure despite “what the evidence showed.”

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com