Dear Members of the LSE Executive Office, 

An investigation published in The Beaver on March 6th, 2024 revealed that the LSE has grossly mishandled numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and failed to protect students and faculty from further victimisation.

Despite being aware of 14 alleged incidents of sexual misconduct against an LSE professor, the LSE has deemed it appropriate to allow the professor to teach and resume his duties at the university. Crucially, the article outlined how LSE systemically failed to conduct a fair, transparent, and trauma-informed investigation following these allegations.

The continued employment of the accused individual is not only a stain on the LSE’s integrity and reputation, but a potential threat to the wellbeing and safety of staff and students. In a department-wide survey, International History students have made comments such as: 

 

• “I am incredibly disappointed and disgusted at how the department, along with the university as a whole, has shaped this complete mishandling of the situation. I feel ashamed to be taught by this department right now."

 

• “The Beaver article shows a failure from LSE and the History Department to listen to women and take their concerns seriously. As a woman, this makes me feel unsafe and unwelcome both at LSE and the History Department.”

 

• “I am concerned that my tuition fees are contributing to a cycle of discrimination and predatory behaviour, and a team of people who are only using superficial solutions to solve deep institutional problems.”

 

Moreover, it appears that the issues highlighted in The Beaver article extend beyond a single perpetrator. Since the article’s publication, faculty members from a further two LSE departments have privately and publicly bravely stepped forward with similar allegations. It therefore appears that sexual misconduct is an endemic and institutionally-protected practice at LSE. 

It has become evident that LSE’s reporting and investigation procedures are unfit for purpose. As demonstrated in The Beaver article, the system has failed victim-survivors and works to protect alleged perpetrators. The issue extends beyond one perpetrator or department. As such, email acknowledgement and Q&A sessions are not enough to address the harms caused and that will continue to be caused without real change. 

 

We demand institutional change in the form of:

1. A formal letter of apology to be sent to all affected staff and students;

2. An independent review of LSE’s support for survivors of gender-based violence as well as its reporting and investigation processes in this area, to be conducted by a King’s Counsel. This would follow the examples of the Trinity Hall Cambridge’s review in 2021, Glasgow University’s review in 2022; and Herriott Watt University’s review in 2020; 

2a. The findings of the review must be shared publicly;

2b. Following the findings, the LSE must issue a public statement outlining what steps they are planning in line with the recommendations;

 

3. The immediate resignation or termination of employment of the accused individual, as well as an investigation into the role of senior members of staff during the investigation and in the years since;

4. Ensuring that students and staff in the department of International History are given options for continuing their work and studies in a way that prioritises their safety and wellbeing (such as, but not limited to: allowing students to change advisors, having their work assessed by other faculty members, and so forth). 

 

 

We ask that the School take its duty of care to staff and students seriously and implement the above demands with immediate effect. 

Signed,

HandsOff LSE and Tito Molokwu, Ananya Sharma, Joseph Card, Pip Fletcher, Joyce Liu (Department of International History Academic Reps)