Aren’t the folks in the philosophy department usually considered the smart people?

Sarah Kuta of The Denver Post reports.

CU-Boulder reports pervasive sexual harassment within philosophy department

The University of Colorado on Friday made public an independent investigation that found pervasive sexual harassment and bullying within the philosophy department, a report that has now led administrators to remove the chairman and suspend all graduate student admissions into the department until at least fall 2015.

The review — conducted at the department’s request by the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on the Status of Women Site Visit Program — comes just days after the university released a report showing the campus is meeting the legal requirements under Title IX, the federal gender equity and non-discrimination law.

The committee’s report on the philosophy department cites 15 complaints made to CU’s Office of Discrimination and Harassment since 2007, and found that female members of the department are leaving or trying to leave at disproportionate rates after reportedly feeling anxious, depressed and demoralized.

“It is our strong conclusion that the department maintains an environment with unacceptable sexual harassment, inappropriate sexualized unprofessional behavior and divisive uncivil behavior,” the report’s authors wrote.

Report’s findings

Read the full American Philosophical Association report at the bottom of this page. The eight major themes the reviewers identified within CU’s philosophy department:

1. An environment of sexual harassment and sexualized unprofessional behavior.

2. Lack of civility, collegiality and respect for members of various groups.

3. Bullying.

4. Lack of boundaries and professionalism.

5. Lack of transparency regarding disciplinary processes, procedures and outcomes.

6. Lack of faculty trust in university judicial institutions, practices and procedures.

7. Lack of transparency in the administration of the graduate program.

8. Lack of leadership.