Delay in addressing complaints a blight on Kalakshetra, says HC
The judge directed all stakeholders to ensure that suitable measures were taken to frame the necessary policies for the schools within six months.
Madras High Court (File)
CHENNAI: The Kalakshetra Foundation’s failure to promptly and effectively address the sexual harassment allegations raised by the students for a long period was undoubtedly a blight on the institution, said the Madras High Court, and directed it to frame policy to prevent sexual harassment within the timeline fixed.
The conclusion of the independent committee headed by Justice K Kannan that probed the allegations of sexual harassment and the recommendations on the removal of a faculty member must be carried out on priority, added Justice Anita Sumanth while disposing of a batch of petitions preferred by Kalakshetra students.
During the course of the hearing, the policy for prevention, prohibition, and redressal of sexual harassment complaints took shape into a gender-neutral policy that both students and the foundation have approved, the judge noted, and directed the institution to upload the draft policy on its website and prominently display it in appropriate places in the campus.
The policy formulated now is specific to the Rukmani Devi College of Fine Arts (RDCFA) and the adults in Besant Arundale Senior Secondary School (BASS) and Besant Theosophical Higher Secondary School (BTHS) situated within the Kalakshetra campus.
The judge directed all stakeholders to ensure that suitable measures were taken to frame the necessary policies for the schools within six months.
“With the framing of the policy, the situation happily stands remedied today, at least in part,” wrote the judge, and added that if the present model of education was to succeed, teachers must reciprocate the unquestioning trust reposed by the students and provide mentorship in full measure.
On March 30, 2023, the students staged a protest raising sexual harassment allegations against some of the faculty members. They demanded the suspension of these faculty members, including Hari Padman, an assistant professor. Later, an independent committee headed by Justice Kannan probed the allegations. In the meantime, seven students moved the High Court seeking to formulate a gender-neutral policy to prevent sexual and any other form of harassment and take action on the complaints.
