Dean of prestigious law school takes 'indefinite leave of absence' after sexual harassment lawsuit
The dean of UC Berkeley's School of Law is taking an "indefinite leave of absence" from his position, according to a statement released Wednesday by Berkeley officials.
Sujit Choudhry will step down to his faculty position and salary.
The announcement comes on the heels of news that Choudhry is being sued by his executive assistant, Tyann Sorrell.
Sorrell is accusing Choudhry of sexual harassment, assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress, according to a complaint published by Above the Law.
The suit claims Choudhry began harassing Tyann Sorrell, his assistant, several months after he became the school's dean in July 2014 and continued to do so until she took leave from work the following March.
Choudhry gave his assistant unwanted "bear hugs" that escalated include kisses on Sorrell's face, shoulder rubbing, and caressing, according to the complaint.
The allegations were investigated by the school's Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD). The OPHD's report, sent to Business Insider along with Steele's statement, concluded that Choudhry's "kissing, hugging, and touching" was "unwelcome and of a sexual nature" and that the behavior "explicitly affected" Sorrell's employment.
The report noted that Choudrhy did not dispute the conduct he was accused of, but disagreed with how frequently it occurred. Sorrell claimed that the behavior ocurred multiple times daily, while, in the course of the investigation, Choudhry stated that the behavior ocurred "no more than once or twice a week."
During an interview as part of the OPHD investigation, Choudhry also said that there was no "sexual intent" behind his behavior and that hugs and kisses were something he did to "say thanks for managing the office" after long days.
In response to the finding that Choudhry had violated the university's policies on sexual harassment and sexual violence, Choudhry's pay was docked 10%, and he was required to attend counseling at his own expense, according to Steele.
The Regents of the University of California is also named as a defendant in Sorrell's suit.
This is not the first allegation of sexual harassment made against a Berkeley law school dean. In 2002, then-dean John P. Dwyer resigned after a sexual harassment investigation. Dwyer admitted to a consensual sexual incident with a student at the school.
An interim replacement for Choudhry has not yet been announced, but is coming "soon," according to Steele's statement.
The dean's office had no comment to offer on the suit.
Here is Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Claude Steele's full statement:
Choudhry Investigation Report 7-7-15 - REDACTED by efuchs160
Here is the complaint, filed March 8th:
2016.03.08 Choudhry Complaint by KathrynRubino