Recently, The Advocate reported six women filed a lawsuit against LSU for failing to investigate complaints of sexual misconduct. Adelaide Russo, LSU’s French studies chair, was removed by the dean because she defended former graduate student Edouard d’Espalungue d’Arros and allowed him to work directly with undergraduate students despite him being arrested in 2018 and later charged with third-degree rape.
But, in another, earlier, case an allegation was made to LSU police against Niranjan Baisakh, an associate professor with the AgCenter since 2004. Bill Richardson, then the AgCenter’s vice president and dean, seemed to defend him.
Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel reported: “In September 2016, a female graduate student filed a complaint with LSU police alleging that Baisakh, who was her professor and graduate research supervisor, had been sexually harassing and assaulting her since she entered the graduate program in 2014.
“In the report, provided to Daily Report in response to a public records request, the victim describes how Baisakh would come into her office, lock the door and tell her about how ‘everyone in the department was having immoral relationships.
“He allegedly took unwanted pictures of her, hugged her and begged her, the report states, to ‘please love me, please be mine.’”
Riegel’s reporting also details how his actions allegedly escalated over time. “In late 2014, he allegedly touched her breast and kissed her.” The police report said the victim claimed it got worse and he later exposed himself.
“The report goes on to say that LSU Human Resources would issue a ‘no contact order to the professor and the female student will be moved to another professor for her research program.’”
Sources told Riegel that “the AgCenter’s Title IX probe took several months and ultimately determined there was enough merit to the complaint to take disciplinary action against Baisakh.
“The terms of his sanction were highly unconventional, however: Baisakh’s academic tenure was ‘removed’ for a period of at least three years, and he was effectively demoted, though he was allowed to continue at the AgCenter as a researcher. He was also barred from having any graduate students work for him.
“Even more unusual,” Riegel’s reporting continued, “Baisakh’s tenure was reinstated in March 2020 and he was again allowed to work directly with graduate research assistants. As recently as (this spring), two graduate students were working under him.
“Sources familiar with the situation say Richardson approved reinstating Baisakh’s tenure.
“I have never heard of that,’ Inside Higher Ed Editor Scott Jaschik told Riegel. “Generally, tenure is something that is meant to be permanent. The big exception to that is in cases of gross misconduct, which would cover sexual harassment, but then it is revoked, not suspended and reinstated.”
After details of the Baisakh case became public earlier this year, thanks to Riegel’s reporting, the researcher was placed on temporary suspension while his case was under review by Jane Cassidy, the interim vice president for civil rights and Title IX.
This summer, his suspension was removed and he is back.
Shortly after President William F. Tate arrived, he and Richardson had a “meeting.” Not long after, Richardson announced he was stepping down to return to teaching at LSU. Rumors were plenty as to why this decision was made.
What seems clear is Richardson, like Russo, protected the accused at the expense of the accuser. In the case of Baisakh it was likely to protect the research dollars he brought into the AgCenter.
The French grad student fled, presumably to avoid facing legal consequences. But Baisakh is still at LSU and it was the grad student, his victim, that left the state, tired of LSU’s inaction.
Were there other victims? Will we ever know? What I do want to ask LSU: “Should professor Baisakh still be on the LSU faculty?”
To read Rolfe McCollister’s endorsements for the Nov. 13 election along with the rest of his November column—which includes an update on Dads on Duty and a salute to this year’s Forty Under 40 class as well as information on Giving Guide and 225Gives—click here.
