As if people moral policing women on the kind of clothes they wear, the life they lead, and the choices they make wasn’t enough that people have started picking at them for the way they use their personal social media handles.
In a shocking incident, a female assistant professor at St Xavier’s University in Kolkata was sacked by the university for a picture she posted on her private Instagram profile.
What happened is that a dad caught his 18-year-old son, a first-year undergraduate student of St Xavier’s University, ogling at the picture of the professor in question wearing a swimsuit that was taken from her personal Instagram account, reported News18.
The dad was so appalled that his son was looking at a female that he decided to take the professor to the task.
So, this father wrote a letter to the management of the educational institute saying that the prof’s picture was ‘obscene, vulgar and improper’.
Here’s the letter:
After the university received the letter, a meeting was called wherein she was shown the complaint letter along with thumbnails of some photographs from her private Instagram account. She was also asked to quit the organization on account of ‘besmirching the reputation of the university’.
A student of St. Xavier’s Kolkata was recently caught looking at a pic of a Prof in her swimsuit (taken from her private IG). His father sent a letter to the uni condemning HER for his son’s leching.
Prof was forced to resign in a strikingly humiliating manner.
2022… damn. pic.twitter.com/2RNLnXBd0p
— Sukhnidh ⚆ _ ⚆ (@skhndh) August 8, 2022
Talking to India Today, the professor said, “The said picture from Instagram was said to be ‘bordering on obscenity’ and ‘sexually exploitary’.”
She clarified that the picture was shared as a story and not a post on the application that too way before the university hired her.
“It was a story on the photo-sharing app and not a post. It was uploaded on June 13, 2021, way before the university gave me an offer. My profile is a private account. I wanted to know how my picture was accessed. I was told that there is a code of conduct and a dress code. I told them that it is restricted only to the university premises.”
Suspecting that her private Instagram account may have been hacked which lead to the leaking of her photos, she also filed a police complaint a day before quitting.
She even sent a legal notice to the university. “What I seek is an apology for their wrongdoing. Major big institutions, at times, get away with such kinds of behaviour with their employees. I will move the Calcutta High Court over it,” she said.
However, the university alleged that her notice was ‘ill-motivated’, ‘desperate’, and ‘dishonest’. It sought an ‘unconditional apology’ from her and a compensation of Rs 99 crore for “causing immense and irreparable damage” to the university.
The professor alleges that her dismissal by the university in such a manner was sexual harassment and deliberate character assassination.
People online had a lot to say about this incident that is a roaring example that our society is still infected with such a messed-up mentality.
First of, the father needs to understand the difference between undergarments and swimsuit, which he doesn’t..
next he should be raising his son right, which he hasn’t..
So on n so forth…— Suj (@sujatachandran) August 9, 2022
A teacher who has a personality and a life of her own is more likely to be a more positive influence on INDIVIDUALS, except that poor boy is only someone’s ADARSH SON in this story- that needs to be shielded omg??
— Konpal Patni (@konpal_patni) August 9, 2022
It’s ridiculous. Why are we going back to Stone aged era?
Even I’m embarrassed on school management how it can ask for teacher’s resignation. We’re leading a double standard lives.— P Kumar, JNUite (@PankajK49778103) August 8, 2022
The administration sits on some made up moral throne and pulls off stuff like this.
₹99 crores for damaging their “good name, fame and goodwill”?!WOW.@sxukolkata congratulations on having successfully played another twisted game and won. pic.twitter.com/9bHAV0BORx
— Nabhoneel Majumdar (@Nabhoneel) August 9, 2022
What the hell. This is unconstitutional.
— Aparna (@chhuti_is) August 9, 2022
This is a private organization, the state government has nothing to do wiith it, and I am not sure whether there is a teacher’s union or not. My point is, whatever an adult posts in socialmedia how is it related to his/her professional life. Shame on the university.
— GAURAV (@ComeOnAsh_10) August 9, 2022
A professor has a life beyond the University. Instead of schooling your kid, you are complaining against the Professor. The parents need some schooling here. There are tons of images of women in a swimsuit if he Googles, how far will he be able to protect his child and…
— Astha Mehta (@astha2287) August 9, 2022
This is horrendous and coming from progressive kolkata & st Xavier’s 🤷🏼♂️
Where are we heading towards 😠😠😠— Arnab Tumpy (@Filmchopath) August 8, 2022
So after this incident, his son has stopped looking at women in their bikinis! The problem is with the son and with the father not with the lady! Let him file a case against all those temples that have naked females and sexy postures as statues in their walls.
— India Tax Payer (@RShankumar1963) August 9, 2022
This Father should keep his son at home and snatch his phone too.
Infact this father should remain at home too.
Just pray they never visit any beach, else they will sue everyone 😂— Human (@HumanityIsGod) August 9, 2022
Why can’t someone have her private life? What someone does in private is nobody’s business as long as its not illegal. Everyone has right to upload their photos and Nobody forces someone to watch private images of an individual even if they’re on their social media accounts. 😏😒
— Country_going_backwards😒😕 (@shun_religion) August 9, 2022
This is sexual harassment, and there is no denying it. Moral policing, slut shaming and harassing someone for their private business not only creates a hostile work environment but also shows the absolute misogynistic mindset of the university. https://t.co/SKBqjR6UQX
— Rutuja (ऋतुजा) 🇮🇳 (@Havaldarshinde) August 8, 2022
Instead of 'shielding' his son from objectifying the female body, he should've considered teaching and normalising the female body for him. Why would being an employee in an educational institution mean sacrificing the liberty to dress and posting on your own social media acc? https://t.co/WANsasdc5N
— Batman's girl 🫦 (@rkivekiwife) August 9, 2022
And then we wonder why men grow up with such a huge sense of entitlement regarding their behaviour.
Terrible parenting. Pathetic is a mild word for such assholes https://t.co/h6ijsYsmTG
— Richa Singh (@richa_singh) August 9, 2022
This pervert papa shouldn't be allowed near the school for the girls' safety. https://t.co/z3PKg9TeSL
— Somya Luthra (@smyltr) August 9, 2022
This is so disgusting. She's the victim here. What she does on her private account is no one's business. Teach your son how to behave. https://t.co/CzwTxKzWHs
— Jay (@rodribestdm) August 9, 2022
Apparently, teachers are also given a code of conduct. And a student violating a teacher’s privacy is also the teacher’s fault.
On the other hand, I was once called ‘a zero size wali’ by a male colleague, while I tried to find my way through a crowded room, infront of atleast 10 male colleagues and nobody batted an eye. Made a formal complaint, no use. The person still works there. No consequences at all
— Rucha (@Ruchaacha) August 9, 2022
Instead of holding the student accountable for the alleged breach of privacy, they forced the female professor to resign. Clearly, we are fanning misogyny here.