Rev. Fr. G. Joseph Antony Samy S.J., former principal of Loyola College accused of shielding the main perpetrator and abetting sexual harassment against a woman professor has been appointed as the principal of a woman’s college.
Joseph Antony Samy has been appointed as the principal of St. Charles College of Arts and Science, Eraiyur, a women’s college located in Kallakurichi District.
Back in 2013, he had forced Josephine Jeyashanthi, a professor at the Tamil department in Loyola College, to withdraw her sexual harassment complaint against Prof. S. Antony Rajarajan (known as SA Rajarajan).
Joseph Antony Samy who had earlier delayed the setting up of the internal complaints committee to look into the sexual harassment charges on Antony Rajarajan, did not handover the report of the committee to the survivor – Josephine Jeyashanthi, as mandated by the Vishaka Guidelines and Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act. He had also resorted to criminal intimidation of the survivor.
This same person is now the principal of an all woman’s college.
When The Commune reached out to St. Charles College, the management initially refused to comment on the issue. However, a senior staff from the college who got back said “it happened in 2013, why bring it up now?” and added that they were not aware of Rev. Fr. Joseph Antony Samy S.J., being involved in sexual harassment case and that he was a ‘good man’.
The Commune investigations has also revealed that a report on Fr. Joseph Anthony Samy was submitted to the Jesuit Superior General Fr. Arturo Sosa at the Global Clergy Abuse summit which was held in Rome in 2019.
Another priest Rev. Fr. Albert Williams S.J., who was the Secretary of Loyola College when Josephine had complained of sexual harassment, has now been elevated as the Secretary of Loyola College, Vettavalam, belonging to the Jesuit Madurai Province. He also holds the position of Campus Treasurer in the same college.
He had terminated Josephine Jeyashanthi from her service after she lodged a complaint with the police against Antony Rajarajan. When Jeyashanthi had asked for the reason for her termination the then Secretary of Loyola College Albert Williams told her that this was a ‘Christian minority institution’ and that they don’t need to give anybody any reason.
While Albert Williams had submitted the punishment order (dated 3rd January 2014) to the court, stating that sexual harassment was made out by the internal complaints committee and that the college management imposed a punishment of ‘censure’ on Antony Rajarajan, both Albert Williams and Joseph Antony Samy in response to the Criminal Original Petition filed by Josephine Jeyashanthi wrote a letter (dated 10th March 2014) to the police that the ‘sexual harassment never happened’ and blamed Josephine saying that ‘she was trying to take revenge’.
In effect, both Joseph Antony Samy and Albert Williams had shielded the perpetrator while victimizing the victim.
Josephine, who is now in the process of slapping a criminal case against Albert Williams, Joseph Antony Samy and other members of the Loyola College management, said “Those who have been accomplices in sexually harassing a woman have now been decorated with senior positions and one of them is being appointed as the principal of a women’s college” adding that she wondered about the safety of the women students and staff in that college.
To know more about the Josephine Jeyashanthi case, click here.
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