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The University of Oklahoma returned donations from a retired professor of engineering accused of sexual harassment and banned him from working on campus in 2016, The Norman Transcript reported. But after old and new allegations surfaced last week, Oklahoma is reviewing his status as a professor emeritus, granted in 2007. Oklahoma reportedly first received complaints about John Scamehorn, the professor, more than two years ago. It launched an investigation and Scamehorn soon ended his associations with the College of Fine Arts and the Theatre Guild. Just recently, some 30 people, including female students or alumnae, signed a statement accusing Scamehorn of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior as a donor to the drama program and on film sets unrelated to the university. The allegations include making sexual advances, stalking and taking “embarrassing” pictures, according to the Associated Press.
"Your allegations are being investigated," the university said in a statement. "Your stories have highlighted that there may be gaps in our reporting and response, and we are actively investigating to ensure that will not happen in the future." Oklahoma has said it notified law enforcement. Local police said they first heard of the allegations against Scamehorn last week and began an investigation.
Scamehorn said in a statement that in “the strongest terms possible, I deny any wrongdoing.” The accusations first surfaced online when he promoted his short science-fiction film on a blog for "heterosexual, masculine men," according to the Associated Press. The film depicts a future in which women are hunted and killed for resisting a male-dominated society.
