I am a survivor of dual tracks of abuse: both in the home and in higher education. The disturbing link between the two emerged after twenty years working across public, private, and elite universities, where I witnessed and endured so much. My story is one data point in a widespread crisis festering in the dark. Exposing that pressures universities to change. Through my memoir, related projects, and academicabuse.com—a hub of data and resources to identify and disrupt the problem—I aim to apply that pressure, and give survivors the tools and courage to do the same.
What I found most shocking about this book is that it is still relevant.
Published in 1984 with a revised edition in 1990, Dziech and Weiner dissect the "lecherous professor" archetype and the problem of sexual harassment on campus from every angle, without pulling punches. They include real cases, quotes, and statistics, as well as warning signs and guides for students, parents, and administrators.
Reading the how and why of the way predators operate, victims respond, and universities enable the crisis let me know I was not alone! This has been known for decades, and here I was thinking I was the only one. Not anymore.
How does society view and define sexual harassment of students by academicians? Does the collegiate environment exacerbate the problem and contribute to its current epidemic proportions? What can students, faculty, and administrators do about the problem? The Lecherous Professor addresses these timely issues, including the dilemma of teacher-student dating, newly devised policy statements on sexual harassment from several institutions, and faculty uneasiness about administrative directives on sexual harassment.
