Reports outline sexual misconduct at UC Merced
MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Two UC Merced employees were reprimanded, and another resigned after reports show they sexually harassed students by asking for massages and making comments about their bodies.
The three separate incidents happened within the last two years.
"It's uncomfortable knowing stuff like this is happening," UC Merced student Jessica Garcia said.
Action News requested the investigations from the university's public records office. Several parts of the documents were redacted.
The first report claims an employee just called "respondent" allegedly made comments about female employee's bodies' to the point where they said they felt " uncomfortable as a woman,".
Another incident involved an athletic staff member. The report said he allegedly slapped the inner thighs of two UC Merced athletes. A resignation letter for an employee named David Noble is attached to the report.
A third incident alleges than a university employee made several marriage proposals, and even asked for a massage from three student coworkers.
University officials sent a statement claiming they investigate all complaints fully, and that they take "very seriously any and all allegations of improper behavior by members of the campus community,".
One employee was required to take a sexual harassment course, while another was suspended for two days.
Several students said they weren't aware of the incidents. They wish the university would've done more
"I think more can be done especially in situations like this is taken a lot more lightly in society , and just a slap on the wrist isn't enough. More repercussion should be done," Garcia said.
"I think that this shows what's wrong with our society today. People are not being reprimanded for what they're doing to innocent people. I'm not surprised UC Merced didn't fire these people," A UC Merced student said.
This comes about a year after the UC school system released details on more than 100 sexual misconduct cases from January 2013 to April 2016
IN DEPTH: Read UC Merced Investigation Report Part 1 (PDF)
IN DEPTH: Read UC Merced Investigation Report Part 2 (PDF)
