Harvard University Settles Lawsuit Over Sexual Harassment Claims Against Professor

In 2022, three graduate students filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, alleging mishandling of reports of sexual harassment by John Comaroff, a distinguished professor of anthropology.

The students, Margaret Czerwienski, Lilia Kilburn, and Amulya Mandava, accused  Comaroff of exploiting his position of power to "exploit aspiring scholars" and claimed that the university failed to "protect students from sexual abuse."

According to the lawsuit, Comaroff, 79, “kissed and groped students without their consent” and, when confronted, “threatened to sabotage” their careers. Comaroff has denied these allegations.

Court records reveal that the case was moved to mediation late last year, culminating in a settlement this week. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed publicly.

A court filing indicated that both the students and the university agreed to dismiss the case without costs, concluding a matter that led to student protests and prompted the university to investigate Comaroff’s conduct.

Sanford Heisler Sharp, the law firm representing the students, expressed pride in their clients' bravery in speaking out and addressing significant issues. “We are glad that our clients can now move on with their lives and careers,” the firm stated on Thursday.

The Harvard Crimson, the university’s student newspaper, reported both on the settlement and the sexual harassment allegations against Comaroff, which first surfaced in 2020.

Comaroff, who joined Harvard in 2012, was a prominent professor of African American studies and anthropology before retiring in June. In his retirement statement, Comaroff described the lawsuit against him as “meritless.”

“I was falsely accused of harassment by one Harvard student and of threatening retaliation against two others,” he said. “After a 14-month investigation, I was found not responsible for any of those accusations, except for one instance of verbal impropriety.”

The lawsuit detailed repeated instances of sexual harassment by Comaroff, particularly towards Ms Kilburn. On one occasion in 2017, Comaroff allegedly kissed Ms Kilburn without her consent when she was a prospective student.

Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Comaroff threatened to sabotage the careers of Ms Czerwienski and Ms Mandava after discovering they had informed university faculty members about his misconduct towards another student.

Despite the students’ complaints, Harvard did not launch an investigation until The Crimson published reports of Comaroff’s actions. Following these reports, Comaroff was placed on administrative leave.

Comaroff stated that the lawsuit did not influence his decision to retire but acknowledged that the allegations and the subsequent legal battle were “extremely hurtful,” given his decades of dedication to teaching and his students.

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