A former graduate student has filed a lawsuit against Columbia University in which she accuses a Columbia professor of sexual harassment. According to court documents, the student is accusing SIPA Professor Joseph Paul Martin of demanding sex from the student in exchange for a passing grade in an independent study class she took in fall 2005: "instead of helping Plaintiff ... with her course work, Defendant Martin repeatedly solicited Plaintiff ... for sex."
In her lawsuit, the former student claims that Martin insisted on sitting very close to her during meetings, and asked inappropriate questions about her personal relationships. He also allegedly explained that "Even if I am the professor and you are the student and there is a power difference, you would still be choosing if you wanted a good grade. This is the same as sex in exchange for your grade."
