Montgomery College professor fired for making female students take off shirts in class

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — A professor at Montgomery College's Takoma/Silver Spring campus was fired for sexually harassing several students in his class. According to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Right (OCR), the professor required female students to remove their shirts and wear only their bras — and then commented on their bodies — ostensibly to demonstrate a medical assessment, despite the fact that the assessment did not require clothing to be removed.

The investigation found that the college quickly started a Title IX investigation once the harassment was reported and placed the professor on leave, eventually terminating the professor's employment. 

The OCR found that, despite a prompt investigation into the allegations, Montgomery College could have done more to notify students that the investigation had been completed. 

"This lack of notification raises a concern that the college may not have taken necessary steps to ensure that a hostile environment did not persist for affected students," the agency said. 

As part of an agreement reached with the college to resolve the investigation, Montgomery College is required to notify in writing all students in the professor's class that the college completed its investigation of the sexual harassment complaint against the professor. 

The agreement also requires the college to provide OCR with results of its 2022 Title IX climate survey and provide for the OCR's review a summary of the steps it has taken in response to any concerns raised by the survey. OCR says that will determine whether any additional steps will be taken. 

"The shameful underlying facts in this investigation – of a college professor subjecting his entire class to sexual harassment as a condition of instruction – are galling and categorically unacceptable under Title IX,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to Montgomery College for swiftly responding with a thorough investigation and action to address the effects of the hostile environment created by the professor on the students in his class, and I appreciate the additional commitment Montgomery College made  to fulfill its remaining obligation under Title IX to ensure that the discriminatory effects end for all its students."

A spokesperson for Montgomery College issued the following statement:

"We appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. The College fully supports the determinations and resolutions outlined in the final report, made public this week."