ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A former doctoral student at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music has made a civil rights complaint against the school.
Rebecca Bryant Novak says the music school unlawfully expelled her in retaliation for reporting the harassment and institutional misconduct of a former instructor. Advocates for a graduate student union gathered on Wednesday for a news conference at the campus entrance.
“If there had been a union in place at the time that Rebecca had went through what she went through, she would not have had to deal with the absurd procedures at the University of Rochester,” Advocate Ashwini Sukthankar said at the rally. “The union would have been in place and would have been able to negotiate the kinds of protections from discrimination and harassment that are desperately needed.”
Novak was expelled in February and filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights. She’s also seeking punitive and other damages. Here’s the university’s response to Novak’s complaint:
“The University’s Eastman School of Music is fully committed to being a community that is safe, welcoming, and respectful to all. In keeping with this commitment, the University makes robust and supportive resources and processes available to actively address any report of harassment or retaliation that members of the community may submit, maintaining comprehensive policies to address such concerns. Illegal harassment and retaliation are prohibited here. At all times, the University strives to follow and act in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations when reviewing and addressing complaints under University policy. The University has complied with all state and federal law in its handling of the issues raised by Rebecca Bryant Novak.”
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