The College of Language and Culture Studies (CLCS) in Trongsa will not take in the seven former Lecturers who were compulsorily retired in May this year for alleged sexual harassment of students. Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and police found no evidence and basis to charge them.
Seven of them had submitted a reinstatement application to the college on 13th August. And they received a letter from the college on Saturday saying they will not be reinstated.
“We submitted our application based on three points. Firstly we requested the college management to reinstate us since we were declared innocent by the police and secondly, we requested for the salary withheld and lastly, we requested for the compensation for the damages. We again submitted the application to the vice-chancellor and the vice-chancellor said that he cannot say anything on this case since it’s the decision of the college management,” a former lecturer said.
“While the investigation was going on, the president made a strong comment in the Kuensel. He said that whatever is the outcome of the police investigation; they will not take back the lecturers,” another added.
“We were terminated baselessly without proper investigation and then our family thinks that we have harassed girls. With the current situation, we are very helpless, we are not even aware of what we should be doing hereafter,” shares another.
The college management, on the other hand, says the compulsory retirement decision was administrative action for breaching the code of conduct of teacher and there will be no alteration in the decision.
“The basis for police giving them a clean sheet is on the basis of criminality and ours is purely on the basis of the teacher’s breach of code of conduct. So our parameters are different and our basis is different. Even if they are not charge sheeted to court, our decision stands as it is,” Lungten Gyatso, the President for CLCS in Trongsa.
The only thing the seven former lecturers can do now is file a case in the court.
“They should prove us wrong and only if they are acquitted, then the court will accordingly order us to reinstate them. That’s how the thing will move on. We are not in a position as we have already taken the decision and our decision stands still unless the intervention from the higher authority comes, we are not in a position to entertain them,” the president added.
The college management compulsorily retired nine lecturers and a supporting staff. Only three former lecturers are prosecuted. The college registered the case with the police in May this year after nineteen girls lodged a complaint to the management.
Passang
