Dive Brief:
- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology cut ties with internationally acclaimed physics professor Walter Lewin last month after an investigation that began with a tip from an online student in France.
- MIT ruled that Lewin, 78, sexually harassed female students in his massive open online courses.
- Faïza Harbi, 32, of Montpellier, France, provided MIT with more than 100 chat logs, emails, pictures, recordings, and screenshots as evidence of Lewin’s harassment against her and other women, Inside Higher Ed reported.
Dive Insight:
Harbi had not been identified publicly by MIT, but she said she came forward because she feared the case would be forgotten, Inside Higher Ed reported. Experts say the Lewin case — sexual harassment through MOOC professor-student relationships — is unprecedented. Liability, whether a higher education institution can be responsible for not protecting women from sexual harassment, is not known. Another potential liability: MOOCs use message boards where students can remain anonymous, which can foster sexual harassment by the users of the boards.