Scottish Church College has terminated the employment of a contractual teacher after a panel comprising external members, probing a student’s sexual harassment complaint, found him guilty.

Principal Madhumanjari Mandal said the teacher, a state-appointed contractual teacher (SACT), was dismissed in late June, and the education department has been informed.

The college’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), in a report submitted last February, recommended termination based on its findings. However, after the accused challenged the outcome, the college constituted a three-member appellate authority comprising teachers from St Xavier’s College and Women’s Christian College, and a lawyer.

“The appellate authority found the allegations true and upheld the ICC’s recommendation. We implemented their recommendation. The panel noted that the teacher’s conduct was unworthy of his position,” Mandal said on Wednesday.

Before concluding, the appellate authority heard both the accused and the student.

A college official said the ICC had also recommended that the teacher pay compensation, but the appellate authority ruled that compensation did not fall under the ICC’s purview. This interpretation has been accepted.

The college’s governing body had met on February 28, 2024, but did not act on the ICC’s recommendation due to the accused’s appeal. After the appellate panel upheld the findings, the governing body reconvened and terminated the teacher.

The official said the appellate authority insisted on his termination to set a precedent.

The Telegraph had reported on December 6 last year that the teacher had been accused of sending lewd texts to a second-year student, prompting campus outrage and accusations of administrative inaction. The teacher was suspended following the complaint.

As per rules, a suspended teacher receives 50 per cent salary during the first three months, and 75 per cent if the suspension extends beyond that.

Law college case

The governing body of South Calcutta Law College terminated Monojit Mishra, 31, a casual employee, on June 30 on charges of gang-raping a 24-year-old student on
campus on June 25. The sack order followed a recommendation from the education
department.

Mishra, a history-sheeter, was alleged to have been hired due to his links with Trinamool leaders.