A university in Seoul on Monday withdrew its decision to rehire a former parliamentary leader convicted of sexually harassing a golf caddie as a professor after the decision sparked strong protest from its students and faculty.
Park Hee-tae, who led the National Assembly from 2010 to 2012, was sentenced last month to six months in jail with a one-year suspension for inappropriately touching a female caddie several times at a golf course in Wonju, some 132 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in September. The former six-term lawmaker has appealed the ruling.
“As Park had rejected the offer to reappoint him as a chair professor, we recently completed an administrative procedure to cancel its appointment,” an official at Konkuk University said on condition of anonymity.
Park worked as a chair professor of the university’s law school from 2013 till early this year. On March 1, the university decided to reemploy him despite the court ruling against him, triggering strong protest from its students and faculty.
“We employed him in consideration of his long judicial career and achievements and contribution to the development of the university,” the official said. “It’s really regrettable that our decision made as part of our efforts to treat him with honor sparked an unnecessary debate.” (Yonhap)
