Hanover
Professors Brad Duchaine and Peter Ulric Tse, both members of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, wrote the letter, which was published in the college newspaper The Dartmouth on Tuesday.
Its publication comes in the wake of the departures of three members of their department — Todd Heatherton, Paul Whalen and Bill Kelley — earlier this year following sexual misconduct investigations, and the filing last month of a $70 million federal class-action lawsuit against the college by seven current and former students.
The lawsuit alleges that college administrators turned a blind eye to sexual harassment and assault by the former professors for more than 16 years, despite knowing about allegations that include leering, groping, sexting and rape.
In Tuesday’s letter, the professors pledged to “make structural and cultural changes to our community to improve protections against all forms of violence and discrimination, including protections for those who come forward. We also pledge our availability as a resource to you, our students — to listen, receive your feedback, answer your questions and advocate for your concerns.”
The letter also invited other faculty members to sign on. As of Tuesday evening, it had attracted dozens of signatories, including other members of the psychological and brain sciences department, as well as professors from a variety of other departments at the college.
Several of the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit have said that they hope that by coming forward they will help to change the power dynamics that allowed this type of behavior to occur.
Plaintiff Sasha Brietzke, who still is a graduate student in Dartmouth’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, told the Valley News last month that she hopes Dartmouth and other institutions will begin to shift the way tenure is awarded by rewarding those who help students to be successful rather than those who bring in the most money or publish the most papers.
“It should be good mentors (who) are rewarded instead of serial predators,” she said.
Efforts to reach Duchaine and Tse via email on Tuesday were not successful.
Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.
