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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/12 July) – The lawyer suspended by the Supreme Court on April 10 this year for making sexual advances to his students at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City had been terminated from his teaching post since September 2002, the school said in a statement Thursday.
The SC suspended Atty. Cresencio Co-Untian Jr. from the practice of law for five years and from teaching in any law school for 10 years in a decision made public on Wednesday.
Some news reports (not in MindaNews) did not mention that the lawyer was no longer teaching in XU since 2002.
XU said it welcomes the SC decision, “as it is but an affirmation of the decision reached by its Committee on Decorum on September 5, 2002 for the same acts complained against Co-Untian, who was then a part-time faculty member of the College of Law.”
It said the committee found Co-Untian guilty of violating the university’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines, and resolved not to renew his contract.
“Xavier Ateneo does not take lightly the issue of sexual harassment, particularly in an academic setting where students should feel safe and secure in studying their respective courses. Any form of sexual harassment has no place in a learning institution. We stand by the decision of the Supreme Court making Co-Untian accountable for his actions,” the statement added. (MindaNews)