A lawsuit filed by two students at the University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign alleges a former professor assaulted, bullied and raped mostly female Chinese students, reports Pro Publica Illinois and NPR Illinois.
The suit names former UIUC professor Gary Gang Xu. A professor at another college joined the two students in filing the suit. which seeks compensation for emotional and physical distress and sexual abuse.
Xu resigned last year from his tenured position in East Asian Studies after the university concluded he had an inappropriate relationship with a student.
In the lawsuit, Xingjian Sun said she was a 19-year old freshman when she felt pressured to give in to Xu’s sexual advances over a two year period. The Chicago Tribune reports the relationship became verbally and physically abusive and led to two suicide attempts.
“I think that she was done being bullied by him,” her attorney Alison Wilkinson said to the Tribune. “This is a very big step for her to come forward and no longer be a victim but to be a survivor and a fighter.”
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Pro Publica reports the lawsuit comes at a time when Urbana-Champagne has enrolled 569 Chinese students from China. That’s more than any other university.
“We are aware of the filing and are reviewing it. We cannot comment on any of its contents at this time,” the university said in a statement.
Xu has not commented.
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