SIMMERING tensions at Hong Kong University have sparked calls for the resignation of a senior staff member over the handling of an incident where a long-serving lecturer allegedly exposed himself to a young female student. Sources at the Pokfulam campus, where the alleged 'cover-up' has led to intra-department rows, demanded an official acceptance of responsibility for allowing the lecturer to continue teaching teenage students after the event. The lecturer at the centre of the dispute is alleged to have exposed himself to the young woman in the university library on August 30, but gave tutorials and lectures until September 24 or 25. 'The idea that it could be kept quiet is naive, if not downright stupid,' one of the sources said. The lecturer, library staff and student reportedly agreed not to involve police, on condition that an apology and report were forthcoming. But sources said the chain of responsibility began the following morning, at a meeting of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Timothy Biscoe, the university registrar, the lecturer and head of the department concerned. Mr Biscoe reacted angrily to 'leaks' about the incident and refused to comment on how any future such incident would be resolved. 'I think an extremely difficult situation was handled with tact,' he said. 'It's high time [those who spoke out] kept their mouths shut . . . perhaps they should resign themselves.' Other sources, who spoke anonymously for fear of retribution, said: 'Someone should accept responsibility for what can be described as a cover-up; a cover-up which may have begun that night in the library.' Several members of the university community said the decision to keep the incident quiet and allow the lecturer, who has since resigned, to continue teaching young women had been inappropriate and totally unacceptable. 'It's now taken on a life of its own over how it was handled,' said one party. 'The university is certainly going to have to straighten things out. If people are caught doing illegal acts, then the university should act, not cover it up,' said another. 'There is a faction within the university which feels somebody should hang for it, should take responsibility. It's a question of accountability.'