The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: News

Documents: The poetry of Mark Jensen [Click to enlarge]

Charles C. Doyle [Click to enlarge]

Mark Jensen [Click to enlarge]

As the University makes changes in the way it will handle sexual harassment, one professor returned to the classroom this week and another resigned following separate harassment investigations.

Charles Doyle, associate professor of English who went on administrative leave Feb. 29 after he was found in violation of the University's Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, resumed teaching classes Monday.

Mark Jensen, assistant professor of genetics and epidemiology, resigned from the University on March 26 after the Office of Legal Affairs found him in violation of the policy, the Athens Banner-Herald reported Tuesday.

A three-person committee was assembled to investigate Doyle's situation and advise University President Michael Adams "whether formal disciplinary proceedings should be undertaken against Charles C. Doyle," according to documents obtained by The Red & Black by an open records request.

The committee decided Doyle should be "returned to his classroom as soon as practical," but recommended that "all his classes be videotaped until the end of fall semester, 2008," according to documents.

Susan Mattern, a committee member and associate professor of history, said Tuesday in a telephone interview the group did not find "anything that needed to be added."

Doyle was found in violation of the policy in 2001 and 2002.

"The last episode dated back to 2004. There was nothing after," Mattern said. "It had already been adjudicated."

Mattern said the committee "looked very carefully" at how the events in Doyle's case were addressed.

"We think things could be handled better at a departmental level," Mattern said.

Patricia Miller, another committee member, wrote suggestions for those who believe they are being harassed in an e-mail to The Red & Black.

"Students can talk with the head of the faculty member's department, who by law is required to report the behavior," she wrote. "Or students at least can write comments about the behaviors on their anonymous course evaluations. Only in this way is there evidence for a committee to consider so that the behavior does not continue."

Mattern also said the committee decided if Doyle is found in violation of the policy in the future, he should receive a "more severe penalty."

In Jensen's case, he was under investigation for sending frequent flirtatious e-mails and being "touchy" with students, documents show.

Open records documents include e-mails and poems sent to students. He sent one student "poems about her & me & his feelings about her."

In one e-mail conversation between Jensen and a student, the student wrote, "One word from you and this flirtation will halt immediately, I promise you. I feel selfish because I have nothing to lose here, and you on the other hand have everything."

Jensen said in documents he "feels sorry for making [the student] feel uncomfortable" and for letting "his own stress get in way of resp. as prof."

While earning his doctoral degree at the University of Chicago, Jensen "caused a LOT of problems" and was "known as 'gropey mark,'" documents show.

Other handwritten documents describe Jensen as "creepy" and someone who "crossed a line."

Jensen's resignation takes effect May 9.

He will be on administrative leave until that date.

One of the conditions of Jensen's resignation is he is no longer allowed to communicate with students.

Jensen said Tuesday he could not comment because the University has forbidden him from speaking with any University student.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools