NEW YORK (AP) | A prominent New York University professor who is being sued by a former student for alleged sexual harassment says her relationship with him was not sexual and affectionate emails they exchanged were just “gay-coded” correspondence.
NYU professor Avita Ronell released a statement Friday in response to a lawsuit filed against her in New York this week by the former student and advisee, Nimrod Reitman.
In the suit, Reitman said he was subjected to unwanted kissing and groping and he said he received many messages that made him uncomfortable.
Ronell denied having any sexual contact with her former student and said their emails contained “exaggerated expressions of tenderness” because they are both gay, not because she was sexually harassing him.
NYU has suspended Ronell for a year.
