Tamil Nadu: After Loyola, Bishop Heber College Rocked By Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct Against Head Of Tamil Department

Five female students of Bishop Heber college in Tiruchirappalli have filed a complaint of sexual misconduct against Paul Chandramohan, the head of Tamil department, Puthiya Thalaimurai reported.

A Christian institution with a storied past, Bishop Heber was established by the Tiruchirappalli - Thanjavur Diocese of the Church of South India.

In a written letter to the college principal, five post-graduate students studying in the Tamil department alleged that Paul Chandramohan constantly indulged in acts of sexual harassment by sitting in close proximity and cracking sexually coloured jokes. The students said that they finally raised the issue after his lewd act of stripping his clothes in front of the students.

The students also alleged that Paul Chandramohan would have force them to visit his private chamber inside the college premise.

The students also charged that Nalini, an assistant professor in the Tamil professor, of forcing them to wear makeup before visiting the head of the department in his chamber

The students also said that the sexual misconduct has forced them to discontinue from the institution.

Following the sexual harassment compliant by the students, the college constituted a committee headed by lawyer Jayanthirani. The college authorities have suspended Paul Chandramohan. The police have also commenced investigation in to the allegations.

A Ph.D in Tamil Christian Literature, Paul Chandramohan has served in the college for over 20 years.

The sexual harassment case in Bishop Heber college comes closely in the heels of such allegations rocking many other minority-run higher educational institutions.

PSBB, a prestigious school in Chennai, was recently rocked by allegations of sexually inappropriate conduct by a member of the teaching staff.

Loyola College

In Dec 2020, the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women had directed Loyola College, Chennai, to immediately pay ₹64.3 lakhs, with interest, to a senior woman faculty member, who was allegedly harassed by a Jesuit Father and verbally terminated from service.

Josephine Jayashanthi, winner of the prestigious Rangammal Prize in Tamil Nadu for her path-breaking novel Sangavai, was dismissed from the Loyola college for her “audacity” to stand-up to the sexual advances made by the college higher-ups. .She alleged that Prof S A Rajarajan, the department head, sought sexual favours from her many time

Madras Christian College

In 2019, students from the Zoology department of Madras Christian College had complained about a professor behaving inappropriately with them while they were on an excursion to Karnataka. The issue was downplayed and was dealt only with the Internal Complaints Committee of the college with no further development on the issue in the media.