Dear President Eisgruber, Dean Kulkarni, Dean Crittenden, Dean Carter, and Chairwoman Gmachl:
As proud students, alumni, faculty and staff of Princeton University, we the undersigned write to express our deep concerns regarding the University’s handling of the recent sexual harassment case against electrical engineering professor Sergio Verdú. We ask that the University elevate its disciplinary actions against Professor Verdú and firmly establish that sexual harassment will not be tolerated in our community.
It is our understanding that while Professor Verdú was found unequivocally to be in violation of Princeton University’s policy on Sex Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct, he has remained a salaried employee of the University, maintaining his prestigious position as Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering and continuing in his teaching and research advising roles without interruption.
Given the nature of the sexual harassment for which Professor Verdú was found responsible, his flagrant abuse of power, and the irreparable emotional and professional damage he has inflicted upon his student, we find the punishment determined by the University in his case to be grossly inadequate, and the process by which this punishment was determined to be intentionally opaque.
Our peer institutions have taken two approaches to penalizing faculty found guilty of sexual misconduct. In some cases, faculty members have been punished severely with suspension or termination — significantly, one of these instances corresponds to the suspension of a Princeton faculty member in 1989. In other cases, faculty members — more accurately described as sex offenders — are gently reprimanded and allowed to continue on in their esteemed positions. It is clear that in this case, Princeton has chosen the latter path. We trust our alma mater to act in accordance with the highest ethical standards and to unwaveringly support and defend survivors of sexual misconduct. The University’s decision in Professor Verdú’s case, combined with the knowledge that as recently as 2014, the U.S. Department of Education concluded that Princeton “failed to provide a[n]...equitable response to complaints of sexual harassment,” profoundly erodes this trust.
In addition to reevaluation of the penalties in Professor Verdú’s misconduct case, increased transparency regarding the Title IX disciplinary process is essential to restoring confidence in the University’s handling of sexual misconduct cases. In particular, we note that Title IX infractions committed by faculty members are particularly egregious, as the influence that faculty wield over students and their future careers — particularly students within their own departments — further discourages reporting of violations, and makes sexual advances more challenging to combat. Disciplinary actions resulting from Title IX investigations must account for this extreme power imbalance.
There has never been a more important time for Princeton to categorically condemn sexual harassment and abuse, particularly when these acts are committed by exceptionally powerful men. We strongly urge you to reconsider the University’s decision in this matter, and to deliver a punishment that is proportionate to the damage Professor Verdú’s victim has endured.
This is an active petition. Princeton affiliates, please sign the online petition. As of the time of publishing, there are over 750 signees.
Respectfully,
Yasin Kaya 2019
Sara Kacmoli 2022
Abhi Raj 2020
Yan Li 2016
Munji Choi 2020
J. Alexander Bae 2020
Alexandra Werth 2019
Michelle Zhang 2021
Bolong (Harvey) Cheng GS '17
Daniel Jiang 2016
Alice Yoon 2020
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Jeewon Yoo 2022
Stephan Kim 2022
Yeon Soon Shin 2019
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Ju Young Lee 2019
Yasmin Afsar 2017
Paul Jackson 2021 (G3)
Jimin Hong 2016
Yoolim Lee 2017
Laura Leal 2020
DoWon Kim 2019
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Chi Suk Kang 2017
Ki-Soon Choi 2016
Maximilian Goer 2015
Ivy Fortmeyer *16
jonathan choi 2017
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Sonika Johri 2014
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Sara Chuang 2018
Wentao Fan 2021
A former graduate student 2014
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Ryan O’Shea 2016
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Tracy Tsai 2012
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