University of Illinois Protected Harassers: Investigation

Comparative biosciences professor Valarmathi Thiruvanamalai was among those able to leave the institution quietly despite credible accusations of misconduct, ProPublica reports.

Written byShawna Williams

| 2 min read

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Multiple professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who were credibly accused of sexual harassment have been put on paid administrative leave, allowed to leave the institution quietly, or both, ProPublica Illinois and NPR Illinois jointly reported yesterday (August 27). Among them was Valarmathi Thiruvanamalai, a comparative biosciences faculty member who went on to a position at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after his resignation from UIUC.

According to ProPublica, a student reported Thiruvanamalai to the university for inappropriate behavior in 2014, which he denied. The student was moved to a different lab, and Thiruvanamalai was directed not to contact the complainant. Another student and a lab tech then came forward with allegations. Thiruvanamalai’s alleged behavior “included calls, texts, inquiries about bathroom breaks and menstrual cycles, an invitation to a student to stay in the same hotel room, and unannounced visits to their homes,” ...

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previously, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in the communications offices of several academic research institutions. As news director, Shawna assigned and edited news, opinion, and in-depth feature articles for the website on all aspects of the life sciences. She is based in central Washington State, and is a member of the Northwest Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
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