KIMEP University confirmed a student's complaint against a professor and stated that an investigation is ongoing. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
In an official statement, the university said that a student recently filed a complaint with the administration regarding alleged behavior of a faculty member. "The university takes all such complaints seriously. However, to date, no facts confirming the substance of the complaint have been established," the statement said.
KIMEP also noted that all complaints at the university are reviewed in accordance with Kazakhstan's legislation and the university's internal rules. After notification by the university, all involved parties were invited by the police to participate in a preliminary investigation, according to KIMEP.
"KIMEP University remains committed to the principles of fairness and legality of procedures for all parties involved. The university continues to cooperate with the authorized bodies and awaits the results of the official investigation. Any final conclusions on the facts of the case can only be made by authorized state bodies," the university stated.
Information about alleged pressure on the student was not separately commented on in KIMEP's statement.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that former KIMEP dean Jason Gaynos said his 20-year-old daughter filed an internal complaint against a senior lecturer at the university, accusing him of sexual harassment. According to Gaynos, this is not about lecturer Nadim Naqvi, whose case was previously covered in the media, but about another member of KIMEP's faculty.
Gaynos claimed that his daughter did not contact the police and only wanted an internal investigation according to university rules. However, after filing the complaint, she was called to KIMEP in the evening, where police officers and the lecturer she complained about were already present. He also stated that his daughter was seated opposite the lecturer, despite a promise that she would not have to meet him. According to Gaynos, after this, his daughter is afraid to return to campus. He emphasized that he was relaying his daughter's claims and not stating that the allegations have been proven.