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Cape Town - A Cape Town university lecturer has refused to respond to allegations of sexually harassing female students.
Clement du Plessis was a media lecturer at Cape Peninsula University of Technology up until April this year. He was fired after a hearing found him guilty.
The harassment allegedly took place in 2012 and 2013, reported the Times. Du Plessis had allegedly said to a first-year student that “he would take time in finding her [tattoos]”and sensed a “chemistry between them”. It was also alleged that he had suggested a threesome with students.
Another student said Du Plessis had suggested “putting herself and another student over his lap and spanking them”.
It is further claimed that he tried to intimidate one of the victims when he went to her family home.
When contacted by News24 for comment, Du Plessis would only say that the matter is being handled by his lawyers and, as it is ongoing, he cannot comment.
Two other former students also spoke to News24 about instances involving the former lecturer.
“He told me to take the ‘l’ out of ‘around the clock’ during an exam and invited us [female students] to sit on his lap,” said one of the former students who wished to remain anonymous.
She also claimed he “made the girls wait until last for him to mark their test papers”.
The other former student said he had “brushed against my bum”.
The Cape Town Labour Court has dismissed a bid by Du Plessis to review CPUT’s disciplinary hearing which resulted in his firing, the Times reported.
Judge Anton Steenkamp said the case should rather be heard in the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
