Scandal-plagued dean Ceri Sherlock to leave Hong Kong arts school post for ‘family reasons’
He was accused by students of sexual harassment but later cleared by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and settled a lawsuit from a whistle-blower out of court
After five years in the job, Ceri Sherlock will step down as dean of the school of drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in June 2017, the end of the current academic year.
The departure follows allegations of sexual harassment made against him by students, and a subsequent HK$1 million out-of-court settlement paid to a fellow academic, who claimed he was victimised for reporting the allegations to academy chiefs.
In a statement released to the Sunday Morning Post, a spokesman for the academy said: “Professor Ceri Sherlock, dean of school of drama, will be completing his contract at the end of the academic year of 2016/2017 and shall not be seeking extension for family reasons.”
The school has already begun advertising his position.