By: Dr. Christa Hodapp

Sometimes silence tells a story. For two years, B., a staff member at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, attempted to get her experiences of sexual harassment and violation at the university publicized. She came to me after several faculty members formed a small task force to address these issues, asking me, a faculty member at UMass Lowell, to help her write her story. During our conversations, she surmised that perhaps she needed to be at an Ivy League university, or perhaps be a different race, or perhaps have a different sort of job to be noticed. She contacted a PR firm affiliated with the Time’s Up movement that reached out to multiple local news outlets but the story never made it far before being dropped or discarded. This piece is an attempt to allow B. to tell her own story in her own words.

Maybe we do care less when it happens in Lowell not Boston, to a staff member as opposed to faculty or students, and to a woman of color. According to the National Women’s Law Center, black women file sexual harassment charges to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Center at three times the rate of non-Hispanic white women.[1] In spite of these facts, our assumptions and interventions often fail to reflect these truths.

In general, B. is not the sort of survivor that stereotypes suggest. She’s tough, bold, and confident. She seems too strong and no nonsense to be anyone’s target. However, according to her accounts, it was precisely her race and confidence that made her so appealing to Dr. Oliver Ibe as the subject of his harassment.

B. started working for UMass Lowell in the Francis College of Engineering in the spring of 2017, with Dr. Oliver Ibe as her direct supervisor. Ibe, a professor in the Francis College of Engineering and the Associate Dean of the college at the time, is a 71-year-old husband and father of four, and grew up in Nigeria as a member of the Ibo ethnic group in the southeastern region of the country. As the highest-ranking black individual at the university during that time, Ibe had significant power and an outstanding professional reputation. That’s why when he asked B. to lunch the first day, she was flattered that a dean would take such an interest in her as a new employee. However, the purpose of the lunch became clear very quickly, establishing a pattern of harassment that would persist for many months afterwards.

B. was repeatedly interrogated about her sexual orientation, racial preferences in dating, religion, and her own racial identity. Ibe informed her that he was going to teach her about her African roots, and how to be an African woman. He enjoyed the fact that B. was a “feisty” woman, because, he claimed, black women’s strength reflects their true inner African identity. For Ibe, this was not passing remarks in the hall or “banter” — this was a one-sided courtship, and her rebuffs and refusals were read as part of the game. If B. walked to her car without him, he would chastise her, telling her that gentlemen walk women to cars, especially their girlfriends. At one point, Ibe decided that B. was in fact his girlfriend, and wrote the date on the white board to commemorate his decision about their alleged “relationship.” Repeatedly, Ibe cornered B., placed his hands upon her without consent, and kissed her forehead and hugged her in spite of her protests. He told her he loved her, and that he was going to put a baby inside her. Although he is married, Ibe insisted that his culture allowed for him to have multiple women as partners as long as he could provide for all of them.

At this point, B. felt trapped. She needed this job, so the stakes were high — she supports both immediate and extended family members and her income is essential. Ibe knew this and also knew how vulnerable she was, often reminding her that during the first 90 days of employment he could let her go for any reason. Her life became a complicated network of managing her trauma and stress, while also managing a wide range of avoidance strategies to keep her contact with Ibe to a minimum and as public as possible. Nonetheless, the harassment persisted even when other staff members witnessed Ibe’s behavior.

During Easter weekend of that year, B. finally decided to tell her family members what was happening to her, after some of them noted that she seemed stressed, out of sorts, and not herself. With their encouragement, B. started to speak out, and speak with other women of color who worked with Ibe. During a luncheon with some of these women, several women, many of whom began finishing each other’s sentences and stories, shared stories about Ibe’s harassment and inappropriate behavior.

According to B., finding out she was not alone was a complex experience. In some ways, it put an end to some of her isolation and allowed her to share in some empathy. However, she was also struck by the fact that no one warned her about him, that she was left with a “wolf” with no precautions or protection. While B. understands the complexities of reporting and experiencing sexual and gendered violence, she committed herself to doing everything she could to prevent him from harming and harassing others the way he hurt her.

When speaking with B., there is a sense of moral imperative and community commitment in her narrative. She frequently refers to her sense of justice and the necessity of truth telling, but her goal is clearly not vengeful — she’s doing this for other women, especially for women of color. She talks a lot about how powerful black women that she has seen speak — including Tarana Burke and Oprah Winfrey — inspire her to keep going, and how her family is what keeps her moving forward. At one moment, she told me, “I draw on the strengths of my ancestors in America and their beliefs — if they could live through what they did, then I can go on a little longer.” B. persisted, and ended up filing a grievance with the university along with another complainant. While the university did find Ibe violated the university’s sexual violence, sexual discrimination and other sexual misconduct guidelines, it did not find he violated the university’s guidelines on non-discrimination.

B.’s moral compass and commitment to justice contrasts notably with the outcome of the university’s HR investigation and resulting sanctions. It is imperative to note that Ibe was found responsible in two separate complaints from two separate women — B. is not the only woman to register a sexual harassment complaint against Ibe. Ibe had his title of dean removed by Joseph Hartman, dean of the Francis College of Engineering, who wrote, “The University further directs you that you are not to engage in any further conduct that is in conflict with the university’s sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and other sexual misconduct guidelines and other equal opportunity guidelines… Please be advised that future breaches of this kind will be met with discipline, up to and including the university’s right to invoke termination and/or dismissal proceedings…” Following this recommendation, Hartman told B. she must feel “vindicated.” Nonetheless, Ibe continues his research and teaching, and has been nominated and won awards since this decision. In 2018, Ibe was named a fellow for the National Academy of Inventors, and Hartman nominated him for this award. Hartman is currently a candidate for the position of provost at UMass Lowell.

While the university claims that it followed procedure appropriately, it is well known that following the minimum of policy and procedures does not guarantee an ethically appropriate resolution. After seeking media attention for her story, B.’s experiences with Ibe were currently featured in two articles for the Lowell Sun.[2] Student outcry reflects the ethical failings of the situation, with a petition calling for Ibe’s suspension until further hearing. One theme running throughout the student reactions is the shock of allowing someone like this to teach students who have no idea about his past behaviors. Much like B., the initial reaction is dismay over the fact that the university would leave students in the presence of an alleged “wolf” with no warning or protection.

However, B. continues to watch and warn, even if her vigilance exhausts her. She told me that she will not leave this university before he does, and she will do whatever she can to protect others, especially students. And so the story moves forward, with the familiar figure of a woman who has been wronged and traumatized fighting to continue her emotional labor of enacting justice and seeking protection for others. Now that the story is coming to light, we can hope that this labor will no longer be only her own.

[1] “Black Women Disproportionately Experience Workplace Sexual Harassment, New NWLC Report Reveals.” https://nwlc.org/press-releases/black-women-disproportionately-experience-workplace-sexual-harassment-new-nwlc-report-reveals/ (Last edited 8/2/18)

[2] “UMass Lowell dean demoted, not fired, over harassment.” Rick Sobey, 4/20/19, http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_32586612/umass-lowell-dean-demoted-not-fired-over-harassment

“Students join calls for professor’s removal.” Aaron Curtis, 4/22/19, http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_32590371/students-join-calls-professors-removal