MR LECTURER: WHY DID YOU TOUCH THE UNIZIK IGBO FEMALE STUDENT?

What happened to, “Excuse me miss. May I pass please?”

Touching any part of the body of a woman is referred to as modesty violation.

Watching the invasion of the lady's privacy does not sit well with her. 1 

In Indonesia a lecturer went to jail for touching a student. Her student: You can’t imagine that. 

In New York a man was fined thousands of dollars for violating the modesty of a damsel. 

As a general rule, it’s always a good idea to obtain clear consent before touching someone else. Many people don’t like to be touched – especially not by strangers. Even if the touching occurs in a non-sexual manner, it can make some individuals extremely uncomfortable. What you intended to be a friendly pat on the shoulder could be interpreted as something completely different.

It is a misdemeanor of third degree and attracts 60 days in jail in some places in America. 

From Yale to Oxford, from Cambridge to Harvard, from Plymouth to Greenwich where a researched, I have never seen a lecturer touch a student like you did. It was offensive, disgusting, obstructing and disrespectful. It was avoidable, your little touch. 

You don’t touch a male student like that, not to mention a female student who is minding her business. 

There is a case too where a biology female teacher Nurmayani Salam was put into jail just because she pinched her student. In this case the lady isn’t your student. She just happened to be a student where you lecture.

You are a lecturer not her father.

You are a teacher and not a God.

Dr. Chukwudi Okoye, the Lecturer that was bîtten by a UNIZIK student.

In some cases, pinching an adult student is physical abuse. Plain simple.

For some dimwits it is supposed to be a very light abuse, but you also held the girl. You could have avoided that.

You don’t have sense of contextology. Culture has changed. People are angry with life, with government, with the failed institutions in the country. People are committing homicide, suicide and incessant violence. Many young people are doing drugs to escape from the systemic inflation and poverty. You don’t know how anyone could react. 

This is not 1903.

A tap at the back of a student was a blessing then. 

Let me advise you, use only verbal joke and approval, try to read situation and contexts before you do anything.

If you are going to use verbal communication, also use it with caution. Don’t shout at a student. Don’t shout at a stranger. Don’t confront. Culture has changed.

Before you touch, seek consent, read the mood, ask yourself, does the institutional guidelines allow a lecturer to touch a female student? Err on the side of caution.

In summary, the student over-reacted. You would have let her post your picture in the video without your consent. Then you take it from there more professionally.

I suggest you always prioritize professionalism and respect for personal boundaries.

READ HER STORY:

“MY OWN SIDE OF THE STORY”

“This morning, around 11 a.m., I was recording a quick video with a friend along my lecture room hallway when, out of nowhere, I felt a push from my left side, accompanied by a curt ‘excuse me.’ Initially, I thought it was a student, but when I turned around, I was shocked to see a man—a lecturer, unbeknownst to me. I felt helpless, faint, and utterly disrespected.”

“I whispered to my friend, ‘Omo, see how this lecturer pushed me,’ and my friend tried to reassure me.”

“Before I could even process what had just happened, someone tried to grab my phone from behind. I held on tight, exclaiming in shock, and turned around to see the same man who had pushed me earlier. Mind you, I didn’t even know he was a lecturer. I pleaded with him, ‘Sorry, sir, why are you dragging my phone?’ But he remained silent, tugging at my phone until it fell and broke.”

“I was devastated and still lamenting in pain as I picked up the pieces of my shattered phone. But the situation took a dark turn when the lecturer grasped my breast region, saying unspeakable things. I was left stunned, trying to comprehend the horror unfolding before me.”

“As I realized my cleavage was exposed, I begged him to let me go, but he ignored my pleas, holding me firmly. His nails and grip left visible prints and scratches on my chest.”

“I was mortified. I tried to cover myself, pulling my dress together, and exclaimed in desperation, ‘Sir, I’ll hold you ohh!’ I didn’t mean to threaten him; I just wanted him to release me. But he wouldn’t budge. In a split second, I bit his hand, hoping he’d let go. That was when I held his clothes and accidentally tore his shirt.”

“The situation escalated, with some students intervening. In no time, I saw Theatre Arts students (from his department) approaching me with weapons. I was terrified and hurt. Security personnel eventually arrived and took me away in their van.”