Rutgers University is investigating a sexual harassment complaint filed by a graduate student against a renowned professor who was her mentor, New Jersey Advance Media has learned.

Nabil Adam, vice chancellor for Research & Collaborations at Rutgers University-Newark, was placed on administrative leave with pay after the student filed the complaint in November, said Peter Englot, senior vice chancellor for Public Affairs and Chief of Staff.

University policy requires placing an employee on leave during a harassment investigation, which is still underway, he said.

The 29-year-old graduate student said she told university officials Adam sexually assaulted her in his office in January 2016 -- six months after she became his research assistant and he became her dissertation adviser.

She said she told him to never touch her again; he agreed and said she could find another advisor. The following week, he asked to come to her apartment to discuss the episode and she agreed. Once again, he coerced her into "unwanted sexual contact," she said.

The student said she grew infatuated with Adam, 75, a Distinguished Professor of Computer & Information Systems whom she said she once considered a father figure and often spent every day with him, including most weekends.

They engaged in an 18-month relationship in which she became so dependent on the married professor's affection and attention that she attempted suicide by swallowing sleeping pills in July 2017, she said.

"As a faculty (member), he was aware of University policies that prohibit this kind of relationship and in some cases, even if allowed, requires formal disclosure to the University. But he failed to do so," the student said. "He continuously lied saying he did not have any inappropriate relationship."

NJ Advance Media is not identifying the student, who requested anonymity, because she claims to be a victim of sexual abuse and the university is taking action.

Adam did not respond to request for comment. His attorney, Bruce Atkins of Hackensack, responded via email stating his client never had any physical contact with his former assistant and has done nothing wrong.

Atkins noted the student first made -- then recanted -- harassment allegations against Adam last summer.

"My client vehemently denies all allegations and continues to fully cooperate and provide necessary documentation to the University for its investigation," Atkins wrote in an email.

The student, however, said she has evidence, including a pair of her pants she provided to the university that she says is stained with Adam's semen.

She also supplied the names of two students in whom she confided months prior to filing the complaint. NJ Advance Media interviewed the students who confirmed she had told them about Adam's behavior. They also said they had cooperated with the university's investigation.

The student acknowledged she did decline to cooperate with the school after informally accusing Adam of harassment last summer, but said she then decided to file the formal complaint in November because his harassing behavior resumed.

"Dr. Adam showed no decency of controlling his actions and still continued this abusive relationship, so I finally gathered courage and decided to file the complaint," she said. "Before filing the complaint, I also started seeking counseling and reached out to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs to seek advice."

The student also criticized the university for not finding her a new Ph.D advisor and delaying her studies -- until she sent an email in January asking University President Robert Barchi to intervene.

"We take allegations of sexual harassment extremely seriously," Englot said in an email. "As soon as allegations were made in this case, an investigation was initiated, the person against whom they were made was put on administrative leave (with pay), and appropriate supports put in place for the person making the allegations. A thorough investigation has been under way, which includes having turned over all relevant materials to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office."

Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, said the investigation is ongoing.

In the days before she said she attempted suicide in early July, the student contacted another Rutgers business school professor and laid out her grievances about Adam. In that email, she accused Adam of "physically getting involved with me and exploiting me over one and half year now and driving me to the point where I lost my complete mental stability." She also said he saddled her with most of his work responsibilities.

She copied Adam on the email. He replied: "As for exploiting you physically or mentally, that is absolutely not true; I never did." He also said she insisted on helping him and he compensated her for the added time, according to his email response.

The business professor contacted the director of the university's Office of Employment Equity, which investigates harassment complaints, accordng to a copy of the email the student provided to NJ Advance Media. The student did not file a formal complaint against Adam at the time, but the office opened an investigation based on her email.

In September, the Office of Employment Equity wrote a letter to the Business School Dean stating the student admitted she made the false allegations while "incoherent and hallucinating." The Director, Lisa Grosskreutz, also sent a letter to the student notifying her she had violated the university's harassment policy by making false allegations against Adam.

The graduate student acknowledges she withdrew the claim at the time because she felt it was in her best interest.

"I declined to proceed ahead after I recovered because of him intimidating me, saying I would be deported," she said. The woman is here on student visa that expires in 2021.

"He said no one would believe me," she said.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.