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A former director of the East Asian Institute (EAI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has denied all allegations of sexual harassment made against him by his former staff, while the university continues to investigate the allegations.
Several allegations of harassment had appeared on social media in the last month, with at least two users, identifying themselves as NUS or EAI personnel, accusing Professor Zheng Yongnian of sexual harassment.
However, Professor Zheng “categorically denies” all such accusations, whether from EAI staff or anyone else, his lawyers said in a statement on Friday.
They also said that the professor’s resignation from the university and EAI was not related to the allegations and the complaint against him. Instead, they said he had accepted a new position that “allows him to focus more on research as an academic, where his passions lie.”
The 58-year-old professor is understood to have joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, as director of its China Advanced Institute for Global and Contemporary Studies late last month.
The allegations appeared on social media earlier that month.
In posts on Twitter, a user who identified herself as a current EAI staff member said that she had filed a police report in May last year after being sexually harassed by Professor Zheng in May 2018. She also said that she was subsequently intimidated by the institute staff when he filed a complaint with the university.
Police and a NUS spokesperson confirmed that a report was filed. Police said they administered a severe modesty indignation warning in April in the case and this was done in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office.
The NUS spokesman said the university followed up on the case with an internal investigation.
The spokesperson also added that NUS discovered that another staff member had filed a police report against Professor Zheng for an incident in 2012. That staff member did not file a complaint about Professor Zheng with the institute, the spokesperson said.
“All allegations of sexual misconduct are taken seriously and internal investigations are conducted to examine allegations with priority,” the spokesperson said, adding that NUS pays special attention to affected personnel and will not tolerate any harassment.
The former staff member who said she was sexually harassed by Professor Zheng in 2012 told The Sunday Times yesterday that she made the police report only this year after learning that another colleague had “suffered sexual harassment from Professor Zheng.”
“Zheng sexually harassed me a long time ago, so it took an extra effort (for me) to proceed,” said the woman, who requested anonymity.
She said Professor Zheng had touched her inappropriately in a hotel elevator, when no one else was present, in 2012.
“I did not dare to tell it for fear of reprisals,” he said, adding that he left the institute in July this year.
The NUS spokesperson said this case was closed by the police without further action and that the staff member left after his contract expired.
In Friday’s press release, Professor Zheng’s lawyers said that the warning issued by the police to his client “does not amount to a plea of guilt or a finding of facts.”
“Professor Zheng has provided and continues to provide his utmost cooperation in the ongoing investigations by NUS. As the outcome is currently pending, it is not appropriate at this time to comment further,” the lawyers said.
They added that the professor “is currently considering his legal options.”
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