China’s #MeToo movement picks up again after Kris Wu scandal with two academics accused of sexual harassment
- A well-known male academic and feminist advocate found to have been harassing fans, with one alleging date rape
- Another academic has been accused of sending sexual and inappropriate messages to a student
Zhou Xuanyi, an associate professor at Wuhan University and a well-known online commentator on women’s rights, has been suspended from teaching after a woman alleged that he date raped her, the university said in a statement last week.
According to the statement, Zhou, 42, has more than 1.4 million followers on Weibo and has also been disqualified from enrolling graduate students after an investigation confirmed the allegation by the woman, surnamed Tan.
He first gained widespread popularity for his witty remarks on China’s hit talk show Qipashuo and his feminist advocacy online, Zhou allegedly maintained sexual relationships with Tan and another woman and also had a girlfriend, Tan said on social media on July 17.
Zhou “violated disciplines as a university lecturer and a communist party member and has exerted a very bad influence”, the university’s statement said.