Include parents & teachers in ICC: HC to Kalakshetra Foundation

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Kalakshetra Foundation to frame a policy against sexual harassment in accordance with the existing laws and guidelines for all the institutions functioning under the institution and directed to place the profiles relating to the members of the ICC constituted by the Kalakshetra Foundation.

Justice M Dhandapani has directed that care must be taken to include representatives of parents and teachers in the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) constituted after framing the policy.

Further, the court has made it clear that there is no impediment for the independent inquiry committee headed by retired Justice Kannan or the state police to proceed further on the issue.

However, the court clarified that the interim direction passed on April 17, would be applicable only if the faculty members, who had spoken up at the January 3, 2023 sensitisation meeting in support of the students, held by the ICC, which was pursuant to the dharna held by the students and not in respect of any other faculty members of the Kalakshetra Foundation.

The court then adjourned the hearing to June 15.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by seven students of Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts run by the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai for the formulation of a proper safety policy and a robust redressal mechanism to deal with sexual and other kinds of harassment at the institution.

Citing the recent protests complaining about present and past students having been subjected to sexual harassment by a few faculty members, the petitioners also sought multiple interim reliefs which included reconstitution of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) with student and parent representatives.