(ECNS) -- Altogether 256 professors, scholars and students have signed and sent an open letter to the country’s education minister, demanding nationwide anti-sexual-harassment regulations on campus on Tuesday, ahead of Teachers’ Day.
This was prompted by a scandal at Xiamen University involving history professor Wu Chunming being accused of seducing and raping students in June.
Wu had his teaching qualification temporarily revoked during July while the University said a special team had been established to investigate the case, though results have still to be disclosed.
In a separate letter also by them sent to Xiamen University head Zhu Chongshi on the same day, petitioners asked for an overall investigation of the scandal and demanded the university take the lead in establishing a prevention system for sexual harassment on campus.
Ke Qianting, a professor at Zhongshan University who edited the letters, said she received several complaints regarding sexual harassment on campus, but has failed to help victims due to lack of regulations.
Jin Yihong, visiting professor at Nanjing University who also signed the letters, said a prevention system is the only way by which to prevent sexual harassment and protect students.
In the open letters, scholars have also drafted a law against sexual harassment on campus and suggested that a “gender equality work team” should handle such complaints.
