Columbia Business School Dean Glenn Hubbard
Columbia Business School Dean Glenn Hubbard today (Nov. 28) insisted the school is treating an allegation of sexual assault by one of its MBA students with the “utmost seriousness.” In an email sent to the CBS community at 1:36 a.m., Hubbard maintained that the school is “dedicated to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and safe community.”
His message comes on the heels of a Poets&Quants’ article in which a first-year MBA student, Katie Brehm, says she was drugged and raped by a fellow MBA student at an off-campus party in the West Village to celebrate the end of mid-term exams in October (see A Columbia MBA Says She Was Drugged & Raped By A Classmate).
It was the first public response by a Columbia Business School official to the charges by Brehm, who has yet to be contacted by an administrator at the school since meeting with Dean of Students Zelon Crawford on Nov. 7. During that 20-minute session, Brehm says she felt the dean showed little to no empathy and left with the impression that Crawford believed she had fabricated her story. Crawford, moreover, never sent a follow-up email or made a phone call to check up on Brehm to make sure she was okay.
ALLEGATIONS INCLUDE POSSIBLE DRUGGING OF SEVERAL FEMALE MBA STUDENTS BY MALE CLASSMATES
The allegations, which include possible drugging of several female students and another sexual assault by one or two male MBA candidates at Columbia Business School, has created a firestorm of discussion on and off campus. The school had declined to comment for the story before publication, and Hubbard reiterated the school’s policy in his email. “We cannot, however, comment on the particulars of individual cases out of concern for the privacy of our students,” wrote Hubbard, who in September announced that he would step down from his job at the end of this academic year after a 15-year run.
“We can assure you that at Columbia the resources available to support individuals who bring forward claims of sexual assault and gender-based misconduct are second to none. Indeed, several of the offices, individuals, and resources we have established for that purpose are referenced in the article.”
The brief six-sentence email from Dean Hubbard popped into student email boxes seven hours after Lindy Gould, the school’s student government president, issued a lengthly statement effectively chastising the school’s leadership for its failure to promptly respond to Brehm’s charges and acknowledging that the CBS community has “come up short” in fostering a safe and respectful culture for students.
‘UNIVERSITY INVESTIGATED THREE SEPARATE HARASSMENT CASES AGAINST MALE PROFS IN 2014
The current controversy at Columbia followed a highly publicized trial this summer that ended with a $1.25 million judgment in favor of a former assistant professor who said she was a victim of sexual harassment and retaliation at CBS. Hubbard referred to the escalating conflict between the junior faculty member and a senior tenured professor as a “soap opera” (see CBS Dean Calls Faculty Dispute A Soap Opera).
During that trial, it was revealed that the university investigated three separate harassment cases involving male professors at its business school simultaneously in 2014, including an allegation that a Columbia Business School professor had sex with a female student in his faculty office.
The law firm that won the judgment against Columbia, Sanford Heisler & Sharp, now represents Brehm in a Title IX investigation and claims against the university for not acting promptly to protect her from an alleged sexual predator. Meantime, Columbia has hired a high-powered litigator, Roberta Kaplan of Kaplan Hecker & Fink, to handle the Brehm case in pre-suit negotiations.
‘WE SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION AND CONCERNS WITH THE LACK OF AN IMMEDIATE FORMAL RESPONSE’
Lindy Gould, student government president at Columbia Business School (LinkedIn photo)
“We recognize it is frustrating not to have had an immediate, formal response from school administration,” wrote Gould on behalf of the Student Government Executive Board. “We have heard you, loud and clear, and we share your frustration and concerns…We want to recognize that this is an incredibly difficult week for a number of reasons. Communities are often defined in trying times like this. Let us be that community that comes together.”
Gould, a member of the Class of 2019, noted that the allegations have generated a “dialogue” in “clusters, clubs, and other groups.” She told classmates that the student leadership was “committed to supporting these conversations and providing resources where needed in whatever way we can.”
Like Hubbard, Gould made clear that student leaders were committed to fostering a safe and inclusive culture at Columbia. “We would like to stress that nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of the members of our community,” added Gould. “While we are constantly working to build a culture of mutual respect, we have not been immune to sexual misconduct and its ramifications. We as a community have no tolerance for any behavior that demeans, harasses, or threatens our peers. Our goal must be to have zero incidents within our community, and we are not there yet. As student leaders, we stand by survivors of sexual violence, and we are grateful for the extraordinary courage it takes for our peers to come forward.”
CBS ADMINISTRATORS CAN ‘UNFORTUNATELY COME ACROSS AS IMPERSONAL’
Gould also attempted to explain why Dean Crawford may have failed to follow-up with Brehm on her serious charges or lent a more sympathetic ear to her allegations. “As students who work closely with Dean Crawford and the OSA team, we want to recognize the work that goes on behind the scenes,” she wrote. “As administrators, they have demonstrated their ability to navigate difficult issues in our community in the past, and we are confident they will do so in this instance as well. We recognize that their actions can unfortunately come across as impersonal due to legal and procedural stipulations, but they are intended to protect the privacy of students involved.”
According to Brehm, Crawford suggested she was defaming a fellow student by bringing her allegations forward during their brief meeting. “I reminded her that I didn’t name the student, but ‘Yes, am I the one that is under fire here?’” Crawford, she recalls, warned her to be very careful and told her not to have any other written communction with her classmates. The dean gave no indication she would investigate the charges Brehm was making, didn’t even express concern for any of the women who said they had been drugged.
When Brehm left Crawford’s office, Brehm felt that the dean believed she had fabricated the story. “I felt deflated when I walked out,” recalls Brehm. “I felt like I was being attacked. I asked for added security and a do-not-contact order. She made everything sound unreasonable and insisted that Columbia had incredible security at all events. My friend told me that woman is not your friend.”
Columbia Business School. Courtesy photo
‘AN ACTIVE AND ONGOING INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY’
Columbia Business School MBA student Katie Brehm
Gould noted that there is an “active and ongoing investigation involving multiple authorities across Columbia University and the city. Due to that, and with respect to privacy of the individuals involved, the school cannot comment further at this time. For the moment, we, as your student leaders, would like to share some thoughts.”
Gould went on to explain that the school already had prioritized training and education around sexual harassment and violence. “However, based on conversations and feedback over the past 24 hours, it is clear that we have come up short on our commitment to each other to foster a safe and respectful environment,” she wrote.
“It will be our priority to reflect and take action to improve our culture going forward, and we welcome your thoughts and ideas. We recognize that training is only a piece of the solution, and our community needs to support continued discussions and corresponding actions on sexual misconduct in the workplace and in our own community here at CBS.”
‘LET’S LIFT EACH OTHER UP’
She then outlined three steps the student government is taking:
1. We are in the process of organizing a space for open student conversation around sexual violence and an opportunity to ask questions about the reporting process at the University. This will likely be Thursday afternoon. Details to follow.
2. We are encouraged by the many students who are interested in bringing this dialogue to their clusters, clubs, and other groups, and we are committed to supporting these conversations and providing resources where needed in whatever way we can.
3. For students who have thoughts or ideas on how we can continue to push this dialogue and our community forward, please reach out to Josh Barrett or Bolu Adeyeye, VPs of Citizenship and leaders of our Sexual Respect Initiative. They will work to help support student involvement in and ideas for these initiatives.
Gould concludes her email with a rallying cry to try and use the charges in a positive way. “Today,” she added, “let’s lift each other up. Let’s listen to each other and support one another. Let’s ask each other how we are doing, and take the time to consider the response without judgment or prejudice, and come out stronger as a result.”
DON’T MISS: A COLUMBIA MBA SAYS SHE WAS DRUGGED & RAPED BY A CLASSMATE
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