BANGKOK – A university professor accused of sexually harassing, and in some cases raping, female students has been suspended.
Four students on Wednesday filed sexual harassment charges against Krisada Sukhsamnieng, a faculty member of the department of arts of the Somdet Chao Praya Rajabhat University.
Following the complaints, the university board suspended him indefinitely and started an internal investigation into the charges against him.
If found guilty, the professor would be dismissed from the faculty, the board announced on Thursday.
The board said it had tried to contact the professor, who has been not been seen since he took sudden leave on Tuesday.
About 80 students rallied in the university’s compound on Thursday demanding his resignation.
The students, aged 19-22 years, were accompanied by one of the faculty members when they filed their complaint with police.
They said they wanted legal action against the professor who had so far got away with his alleged harassment and, in some cases, alleged rape of female students.
One of the students told police that about two years ago the professor asked her boyfriend to tell her to come to his apartment to discuss her grades.
She said the professor insisted that it was important that she come and meet him, or else her grades could suffer.
She claimed he was in a drunken state when she arrived and alleged he forced himself on her and threatened her if she told anybody. She said she was afraid that she could get into trouble with her studies, so she kept quiet.
But now she was about to graduate and she did not want other students to fall prey to him, as she had. So she decided to file a complaint with the police.
Another student alleged the professor sexually harassed her during a class trip to Chiang Rai last year. She said he tried to kiss her and when she refused he was furious and threatened her.
One of the male students interviewed by the police said he saw a video clip, recorded by one of the students, of the suspect allegedly sexually harassing his classmate in a parking lot.
“After the clip got out, we decided to protest against him to protect our friends,” he said.
Pol Capt Yingnoppawan Phayakphrom, head of the investigation team, said the suspect has been called in for questioning.