Fifteen Dartmouth College students have spoken out accusing three psychology professors facing sexual misconduct allegations of creating a ‘hostile academic environment’ marked by excessive drinking, favoritism and at times inappropriate behavior.
The New Hampshire attorney general’s office opened a criminal investigation last month after learning about allegations against psychology professors Todd Heatherton, Paul Whalen and Bill Kelley, all of whom have been put on paid leave and have had their access to campus restricted.
Authorities haven’t released any details, but 15 undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students recently wrote to the school newspaper, The Dartmouth, anonymously accusing the trio of creating a hostile environment ‘in which sexual harassment is normalized.’
Accused: Todd Heatherton is one of three male psychology professors at Dartmouth College who were suspended last month amid allegations of sexual harassment
Professors Paul Whalen (left) and Bill Kelley (right) remain on paid leave amid the ongoing investigation by the New Hampshire attorney general’s office
The accusers also alleged that the professors violated at least one campus policy related to sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or consensual relationships between students and faculty.
In interviews with the newspaper, several students described an uncomfortable workplace culture that blurred the line between professional and personal relationships and said they often felt pressured to drink to excess at social events.
One woman said she felt like she was being tested at one gathering when a one of the professors put his arm around her and slid it down her body. The student said she felt so uncomfortable that she got up and went to the bathroom.
Other students told the paper that Kelley encouraged his lab members to drink and socialize at least once a week, including on weeknights and sometimes during business hours.
The newspaper did not identify the students but said it confirmed their association with the psychology and brain sciences department.
A college spokeswoman said Monday that officials appreciate hearing from the group and encourage anyone with additional information to reach out to the college or law enforcement.
‘At the heart of our ongoing investigations is an extensive fact-finding process led by an experienced external investigator,’ Diana Lawrence said.
Speaking out: Simine Vazire (left), a tenured professor of psychology at the University of California–Davis, has accused Heatherton (right) of groping her behind in 2002, when she was 21 years old
Party school: Some students claimed that Kelley (pictured left beside Heatherton) encouraged his lab members to drink and socialize at least once a week
Julie Moore, who represents Heatherton, told the newspaper her client is confident he has not violated any of the policies mentioned in the letter, that he has never had sexual relations with a student and rarely has socialized with students or the other two professors.
While the 15 accusers did not share specific anecdotes from their interactions with the male professors, last week Simine Vazire, a tenured professor of psychology at the University of California–Davis, told Slate Magazine that Heatherton groped her at an academic conference in 2002.
Vazire was 21 years old at the time and a graduate student at Dartmouth when she traveled to Savannah, Georgia, for the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
According to her account published in Slate on November 13, she was standing next to Heartherton, to whom she had not been introduced, in a circle of students and professors when, without saying a word, he allegedly reached out and squeezed her behind.
Vazire told the magazine that she was not particularly traumatized by that incident, which she bluntly described as ‘one a**-grabbing’ and a ‘blip on the radar,’ but she suggested that it was indicative of the kind of casual harassment that, according to her, is rampant in academic science.
Ivy League: Fifteen students at Dartmouth College (pictured) have spoken out accusing the three professors of creating a ‘hostile academic environment’ marked by excessive drinking, favoritism and at times inappropriate behavior
When Slate asked Heatherton to comment on Vazire’s claim, the suspended professor said he had no recollection of ‘touching her in any way at a conference 15 years ago.’
‘I have just recently heard of this for the first time, but, if I touched her as she described, all I can say is that I am profoundly sorry,’ he stated.
DailyMail.com on Monday reached out to Vazire seeking further comment and was awaiting a reply.
The UC-Davis professor was not the only one to share her experience with Heatherton.
Last month, Jennifer Groh, a professor at Duke University who previously taught at Dartmouth, sent a letter to the external investigator revealing that in 2002, a student came to her saying that Heatherton groped her breasts at a recruiting event.
The unnamed student alleged that the renowned professor, who was in his 40s at the time, touched both her breasts with both his hands, while telling her that she was not doing well in her work, reported The Boston Globe last week.
Groh wrote that she reported the incident to the associate death of faculty, but she never heard a word about her complaint.
Heatherton went on to win the Champion International Professorship, and two years later was named the chairman of the college’s psychological and brain sciences department.
His attorney said Heatherton was never disciplined for the incident described by Groh because the college looked into it and determined that the physical contact with the female student was not at all sexual, but ‘accidental and totally unintentional.’