SAN JOSE, Calif. ― A San Jose State professor accused of sexually harassing a student last year has been placed on paid leave nearly five months after a campus investigation into the matter concluded.
An investigation by the Bay Area News Group into Professor Lewis Aptekar raises questions about the campus’ response to a problem that has plagued UC Berkeley and other universities in the past year.
Aptekar was accused of repeatedly asking the female student during class if she was single and of making comments about wanting to date her, the newspaper reported. His attorney, Elisa Stewart said his comments were made in the context of class discussions about romantic relationships.
The investigation, however, concluded that the professor’s methods were not appropriate for the classroom, according to documents obtained by the news organization.
