He sets up a recorder, then spends the next half hour lecturing us on university policies about sexual harassment claims and procedures. Then he launches into a series of questions that both Frances and I respond to in a similar way—the history department is friendly, cordial, respectful. Relationships with grad students are professional in the office, sometimes extending into friendship.
“For example, I was recently invited to a student’s wedding,” Frances says. “And Professor Jackson offered use of his vacant New York apartment for a student who was visiting. We also often see each other at social events, like university receptions.”
Stafford asks a host of other questions—how grad students are admitted, how they choose their advisors, the duties of the advisors, the process of approving and writing a thesis.
Then he focuses on me and asks how I communicate with students (email or in person), if I meet with them off-campus (only for study groups), if I have relationships with them outside of work (sometimes, like when I play football with a group of students), if I’ve ever dealt with a sexual harassment complaint (never), how often I have office hours (three times a week), how many female students I’m currently advising (three, not counting Maggie Hamilton).
Do you have any problems with the other students? No.
Have you approved their proposals and supported their research? Yes.
Have you ever had a sexual relationship with a student? No.
Have you ever had a sexual relationship with a professor or employee of the department where you worked? No.
Have you ever asked a student for sexual favors? No.
Has a student ever approached you in a sexual manner?
I can feel Frances looking at me.
“Professor West?” Stafford prompts.
“Uh, yes. Maggie Hamilton did.”
Frances lifts an eyebrow. “She approached you sexually?”
“I’ll ask the questions, Professor Hunter, please,” Stafford says. “You say Maggie Hamilton approached you in a sexual manner?”
“She implied she’d do something sexual if I’d approve her thesis proposal. We’d been having conflict about it for some time. Her research and methodology hasn’t been thorough enough for me to approve her idea. She hasn’t been able to even start writing. She’s been upset about that since last summer.”
“And you’ve tried to rectify this?” Stafford asks.
“I’ve tried to help her, steer her in the right direction, yes. I do that for all my students.”
“Ms. Hamilton’s complaint is that you agreed to approve her proposal if she would submit to you sexually.”
Anger burns my chest. “That’s a lie.”
“I’m sure she’d claim your version is a lie too.” Stafford peers at his list of questions. “Are you married?”
“Yes.”
“Has your wife ever had any kind of relationship with one of your students?”
“No.”
“Ever met any of them?”
“Yes, at different university events or lectures.” I shift again. “Maggie Hamilton approached my wife last fall, asking for her help in convincing me to approve her proposal. My wife refused. I told Ms. Hamilton that her actions were entirely inappropriate and suggested that she seek another advisor, since there didn’t seem to be a way to resolve the problem.”
“That was when, you claim, she approached you in a sexual manner?” Stafford asks.
“No, she came into my office a few weeks ago and made the implication.”
“How did you respond?”
“I asked her to leave and told her again to seek another advisor. Then I wrote to Dr. Hunter telling her I could no longer advise Ms. Hamilton due to the deadlock over her thesis.”
Stafford looks at Frances. “Do you recall such a letter?”
“I do, yes. I was following up on it when you contacted me regarding Ms. Hamilton’s claim.”
Stafford nods, checks his recorder, looks over his papers. More questions about my research, the classes I teach, the ratio of female to male students, the ratio of female to male professors. The number of female students I’ve advised over the years. The subjects of their theses and dissertations.
Finally, when the interview starts moving toward hour four, Stafford stretches and sighs. “All right, then. I think I have what I need. I was supposed to interview Ms. Hamilton yesterday, but she needed to reschedule. Our next step will be to schedule a mediation meeting with both parties so we can hopefully come to a resolution and avoid any formal charges.”
He leans forward to turn off the recorder.
“Excuse me.” Frances puts out a hand to stop him. “I’d like to go on record stating that Professor Dean West came to King’s University with a stellar, unblemished reputation. Though he has only been on the King’s faculty for two years, he has proven himself a scholar and professor of great renown. Students give him excellent evaluations. Until now, we have not had a complaint of any kind regarding Professor West, nor has one ever been recorded at his previous institutions.”
“Duly noted, Professor Hunter.” Stafford switches off the recorder and stuffs it into his briefcase. “I’ll be in touch about the mediation meeting. Meanwhile, both of you can be assured we are strongly invested in keeping this all confidential.”
Both Frances and I rise to shake his hand before she escorts him to the door. As soon as his footsteps fade down the corridor, Frances swipes her hand across her brow.