Boston University Music Teacher Accused of Sexual Harassment
Boston, MA– Two students have filed a sexual harassment lawsuit alleging that Boston University music professor and renowned French horn player, Eric Ruske, sexually harassed them, and university officials did nothing to stop him, according to multiple reports.
The Boston Globe reports that the two women—one is a former student, and one is a current student—filed their suit Tuesday, April 12 in which they allege Professor Ruske harassed them in person and sent them inappropriate text messages and emails.
The lawsuit claims that Ruske was known to make “offensive, vulgar, and sexually charged statements to students,” the Boston Globe reported.
According to the suit, Ruske first harassed Maria Currie in 2013 and sexually inappropriate comments to her on a couple of occasions. In one incident, the lawsuit alleges that Ruske compared her playing the trumpet to sexual intercourse. After more inappropriate comments, Ruske apologized to Currie for his behavior.
The apology, however, didn’t stop him from harassing the Erin Shyr the following year. In the suit, Shyr alleges Ruske began greeting her with hugs and kisses on the cheek.
When the women reported the harassment to BU officials, no action was taken, and Ruske was not disciplined. They said several meetings took place and, in one of those meetings, university officials suggested that Ruske’s behavior was just part of his personality, New York Magazine reports.
Sexual harassment on college and university campuses has been occurring for many years, so the women’s lawsuit is not surprising in the least. Also not surprising is the fact that BU did nothing to stop the sexual harassment. Employers and colleges and universities are often inclined to ignore complaints and do nothing to correct the inappropriate behavior.
Even worse, victims of sexual harassment also face retaliation and are punished for speaking out. That shouldn’t happen, but retaliation is a common reaction to a formal complaint. Federal law prohibits retaliation and still it is very common and damaging to the victim. In many cases, it is much easier for a victim to prove the retaliation occurred than proving the sexual harassment occurred.
Sometimes employers do the right thing and take sexual harassment allegations seriously. They will investigate and take the appropriate action, and the matter can be settled, but not all employers do the smart thing. Instead, they dismiss the complainant and protect the harasser. All employers have an obligation to investigate any complaints of sexual harassment they receive. If they don’t, and you continue to be sexually harassed, USAttorneys recommends you speak with a sexual harassment lawyer in Boston, Massachusetts.
You don’t have to tolerate abuse or discrimination on your college campus or in your workplace and if your employer is ignoring you, let USAttorneys connect you with a sexual harassment lawyer near your Massachusetts location. All you need to do is to fill out our contact form, and an attorney will call you.
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