National University of Singapore admits mishandling lecturer’s sexual misconduct case
- Singapore’s largest university said it would be more transparent in giving information about such cases in future
- The school acknowledged it made a mistake in not telling students about the case before it was publicised on social media
Singapore’s largest university on Friday admitted its failings in dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct in cases involving its students and pledged to improve how it handles such situations in the future.
The commitment to be “more open, more transparent [and] more willing to disseminate information in a timely manner” came on Friday from Tommy Koh, the rector at National University of Singapore’s residential Tembusu College, as he addressed brewing public criticism over the sacking of former lecturer Jeremy Fernando.
The policy is to be open rather than closed, to be transparent rather than opaque
Fernando, who teaches interdisciplinary modules across literature, philosophy and media, was fired from his job after NUS investigations found he had “fallen short of the standards of professionalism that the university expects of a teaching staff”.
In accounts the two students gave to The Straits Times, they chided the university for a lack of communication on the issue, and for waiting until it had surfaced on social media to send clarifications to the student population.
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After the university lodged a police report against Fernando on Wednesday, it then provided a timeline of how events unfolded.