Canadian historian subject of a sex harassment investigation

Brock University is being chastised by a former student, as well as the school’s sexual violence support centre, for its handling of a sexual harassment investigation involving a professor.

A CBC report released Friday details the account of a former Brock student who says she was told by the school to keep quiet about an internal investigation that determined the faculty member gave her alcohol and tried to force himself on her sexually late one night in his office.

The incident occurred in the fall of 2014. It was reported to campus security Sept. 21, 2015, and an independent review was conducted in January 2016 that confirmed the student’s allegations.

The investigation report, obtained by CBC and referenced in the article, confirmed the incident in question “involved an unwelcome sexual advance, inappropriate and unwelcome physical touching, comments of a sexual nature, (and) a provocative comment attempting to arrange ongoing intimacy.”

In a statement issued Friday morning, Brock said it “cannot identify either party involved or disclose the terms of the actions taken, due to legally binding privacy and confidentiality obligations.”

However, the professor has been otherwise confirmed as David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye.

Reached through his university e-mail, Schimmelpenninck van der Oye declined to comment.

The history professor is also the acting associate dean of graduate studies and research in Brock’s humanities department. He is still listed under the department on Brock’s website, as well as within the school’s directory. ...