Students at KIMEP University in Almaty are actively discussing a letter from Jason Gainous, the former dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, on social media, reports Todayinfo.
He sent the letter to students' university emails. The publication 'Kursiv' obtained this letter, in which Gainous detailed the past of professor Nadeem Naqvi and the pressure he faced from the administration.
According to the ex-dean, Naqvi was dismissed from the University of Georgia in 1999 following an official investigation into sexual harassment allegations against students. This decision was upheld by the Georgia Board of Regents.
Gainous writes that he repeatedly asked the KIMEP administration to address this fact. He once received the following response:
“This issue has been raised before and, as noted then, relates to events approximately 30 years ago. Since joining KIMEP in 2013, no such incidents have occurred. From the university’s perspective, this is not a current problem.”
The former dean states that he was instructed, under threat of dismissal, to draft an internal policy that would protect Naqvi.
“I want to be absolutely clear about what this means: I was put in a position where I had to choose between my livelihood and my conscience. For me, this is not just immoral—it is unacceptable. The leadership of this university is aware of the situation and has documented in writing that they do not consider it a problem. I cannot in good conscience continue to work for an institution that so clearly prioritizes its own comfort over the safety of its students,” Gainous wrote.
According to the letter, he decided to resign after this situation. Gainous also stated that he had been informed of complaints against other faculty members.
He mentioned that students felt uncomfortable due to sexual innuendos, unwanted comments, and in some cases, physical contact.
'Kursiv' also sent an inquiry to the university. No response had been received at the time of publication.
