Lecturer-student sex banned at six English and Welsh universities

Authors of new book on sexual harassment in higher education call for blanket ban on intimate relationships between teaching staff and students

Published on
September 17, 2020
Last updated
September 17, 2020
Anna McKie
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Staff diversity: sex and gender

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Reader's comments (3)

#1 Submitted by A-S00024014 on September 17, 2020 - 2:08pm
‘Legislating’ biological instincts no matter how pure and goodly the goal is like punching the wind. It hardly stops the latter but can easily fatigue the former . ... and there are some who have met their life spouses thro such dalliances. The potential junior partners ( students particularly girls who are more likely to be hurt should things go wrong ) can only be constantly reminded of the perils in such adventures through programmed advisory sessions in the campuses. ... and then leave the ultimate decisions to them. Banning is a sisyphian struggle. Biology is too stubborn. Basil jide fadipe.
#2 Submitted by NJF on September 17, 2020 - 2:31pm
Indeed, one female PhD student I worked with shagged her way through almost a whole departments senior and then junior academics, the only time anyone reacted was when she was seen talking to a male technician, who promptly got told no fraternising with students allowed, didn't stop a female tech in the same department playing the field with male PhD students, she did ok and in the end married a future leader. Banning 'relationships' doesn't square too well with those over 18 who are considered adults in law, students under 18 however are legally a different matter.
#3 Submitted by daver on September 17, 2020 - 4:16pm
When I got my first lectureship post, I moved country and my then girlfriend (later wife) moved with me. She took a redundancy when she moved and enrolled on a course in the same university where I worked, though in a different department. Was it wrong that she was allowed to enrol when her partner was a lecturer? Or should a 31 year woman be allowed to make her own choices here? This is the sort of thing banning lecturer-student relationships will have to deal with, which is probably why only a few have done so.

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