View source for User:George Swan/Bikini controversy at Kolkata's St. Xavier's University

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In August 2022 news broked that [[St. Xavier's University]], located in [[Kolkata]] had either fired one of their professors, or forced her to resign, over concerns pictures of her in a [[bikini]] damages the University's reputation.<ref name=TheWire2022-08-08/><ref name=Wapo2022-09-04/><ref name=outlookindia2022-08-10/>  The University is run by the [[Roman Catholic Church]]'s [[Jesuit]] order.

In 2021 an 18-year-old student's father complained when he caught his son looking at the Professor's bikini pictures.<ref name=TheWire2022-08-08/><ref name=Wapo2022-09-04/>  Commentators expressed surprise over the University taking those complaints seriously.  They pointed out that '''(1)''' the pictures were not in a public album, but rather in an album she shared with friends; '''(2)''' that the complainant's son was an adult, who didn't need parental protection; '''(3)''' that the images in question were quite tame, by today's standards; '''(4)''' the pictures predated her hiring by the University.

[[The Wire (India)|''The Wire'']] was the first source to report the story, on August 8, 2022.<ref name=TheWire2022-08-08/>

Accounts differ as to whether she was fired, or was forced to resign.<ref name=chennaimemes2022-08-10/><ref name=news18-2022-08-09/>  ''[[Chennai Memes]]'' reports that, not only was she terminated, but that the University demanded payment from her of [[Rs 99 crore]] - approximately $12.4 million USD, claiming damage to its reputation.  ''Chennai Memes'' reported she has counter-sued for wrongful termination.  

The Professor questioned how the complainant and the University were able to access her photos, asking whether her account had been [[hacked]].<ref name=news18-2022-08-09/>  She said she use a pair of photos of her, in a blue bikini, to illustrate an [[Instragram story]].  She said that, not only was the story only shared privately, it was the nature of instagram stories for them to expire, after 24 hours, so the image should not have been accessible to anyone, even those on her list of trusted associates, after that time.

The professor earned her undergraduate degree at St. Xavier.<ref name=businesstoday2022-08-10/>  Her subsequent degrees, including her [[PhD]], were earned at Universities in [[Europe]].<ref name=TheWire2022-08-08/><ref name=OpIndia2022-08-10/>

The professor described being asked to meet with senior administrators of the University, who had been given copies of her private images.<ref name=businesstoday2022-08-10/>  She said they disputed her assertion the images were private, and that their characterizations of her images was an instance of "[[slut-shaming]]".<ref name=OpIndia2022-08-10/>

The day after the meeting where she learned her images had been clandestinely acquired she tried to file a report of hacking with the local police.<ref name=businesstoday2022-08-10/>  It was only after a letter to the [[Police Commissioner]] that the police started an investigation.


On August 10 and 12, 2022,  students organized protest rallies in support of the fired professor.
<ref name=TheWire2022-08-12/>

On August 18, 2022, [[News 18 (India)|''News 18'']] reported that [[Ratnaboli Ray]], an award winning psychologist, posted her own bikini pictures, to support the professor.<ref name=news18-2022-08-18/>  She called on celebrities who shared her belief that the professor had done nothing wrong, to join her, and post bikini pictures of their own.  ''News 18'' reported that celebrities who followed her example included: [[Payoshni Mitra]], [[Anisha Pal]], [[Bidipta Chakraborty]] and [[Rupsa Guha]].

==References==
{{Reflist|refs= 
<ref name=businesstoday2022-08-10>
{{cite news      
| url         = https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/economy/story/woman-professor-sues-kolkatas-st-xaviers-university-says-forced-to-quit-over-insta-pics-344293-2022-08-10
| title       = Woman professor sues Kolkata's St Xavier's University; says forced to quit over Insta pics 
| work        = [[Business Today]]
| author      = 
| date        = 2022-08-10
| page        = 
| location    = 
| isbn        = 
| language    = 
| trans-title = 
| archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220822101847/https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/economy/story/woman-professor-sues-kolkatas-st-xaviers-university-says-forced-to-quit-over-insta-pics-344293-2022-08-10
| archivedate = 2022-08-22
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live
| quote       = The professor is also an alumna of St Xavier’s.
}}
</ref>

<ref name=news18-2022-08-18>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://www.news18.com/news/education-career/celebrities-post-pics-in-swimsuits-stating-take-that-xaviers-support-professor-sacked-over-instagram-photos-5774485.html
| title       = Celebrities Post Pics in Swimsuits Stating 'Take That Xavier's', Support Professor Sacked Over Instagram Photos
| work        = [[News 18 (India)]]
| date        = 2022-08-18
| author      = Salmali Das
| location    = [[New Delhi, India]]
| archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220905015110/https://www.news18.com/news/education-career/celebrities-post-pics-in-swimsuits-stating-take-that-xaviers-support-professor-sacked-over-instagram-photos-5774485.html
| archivedate = 2022-09-05
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live      
| quote       = Ratnaboli Ray started a campaign on Facebook on Wednesday. Posting a photo of herself wearing a swimsuit, she wrote, {{'}}Kanchkola{{'}}. She added according to her opinion, {{'}}Teacher’s attire is a personal choice, students shouldn’t get bothered about that. An institution who does not understand this, need to extent their periphery{{'}}. She also requested other people of the society to raise their voice and post pictures in swimsuits.
}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220905015110/https://www.news18.com/news/education-career/celebrities-post-pics-in-swimsuits-stating-take-that-xaviers-support-professor-sacked-over-instagram-photos-5774485.html mirror]
</ref>

<ref name=OpIndia2022-08-10>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://www.opindia.com/2022/08/st-xavier-kolkata-professor-forced-to-quit-job-pay-rs-99-crore-for-objectionable-pictures-on-instagram/          
| title       = St Xavier’s Kolkata professor forced to quit the job and asked to pay Rs 99 crores for posting ‘objectionable’ pictures on Instagram: Details
| work        = [[Op India]]
| date        = 2022-08-10
| archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220817185455/https://www.opindia.com/2022/08/st-xavier-kolkata-professor-forced-to-quit-job-pay-rs-99-crore-for-objectionable-pictures-on-instagram/
| archivedate = 2022-08-17
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live
| quote       = The lady also added that she was slut shamed, taunted and harassed by the University members. <!-- “What happened in the meeting can only be described as a kangaroo court, where my client was intimidated, bullied and taunted with sexually coloured remarks and objectionable insinuations without any provocation or justification. Each member had some comment or the other including asking her – if her parents were comfortable with her ‘nude’ photographs,” the woman’s lawyer stated. -->
}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220817185455/https://www.opindia.com/2022/08/st-xavier-kolkata-professor-forced-to-quit-job-pay-rs-99-crore-for-objectionable-pictures-on-instagram/ mirror]
</ref>

<ref name=TheWire2022-08-12>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://thewire.in/education/xaviers-students-protest-teacher-forced-resignation
| title       = 'We Students Are With You': Xavier's University Students Reach Out to Ex-Prof, Protest on Campus
| work        = [[The Wire (India)]]
| author      = Indradeep Bhattacharyya
| date        = 2022-08-12
| location    = [[Kolkata]]
| archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220826070804/https://thewire.in/education/xaviers-students-protest-teacher-forced-resignation
| archivedate = 2022-08-26
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live
| quote       = Previously, on August 10, a handful of students from different colleges and universities of Kolkata and nearby areas assembled in front of SXC on Park Street with placards, raising slogans condemning the action against the teacher. The college authorities tried to drive them away, but they stood their ground.
}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220826070804/https://thewire.in/education/xaviers-students-protest-teacher-forced-resignation mirror]
</ref>

<ref name=TheWire2022-08-08>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://thewire.in/education/kolkata-st-xaviers-university-professor-instagram
| title       = Kolkata's St Xavier's University Allegedly Forced Assistant Professor to Quit Over Instagram Photos
| work        = [[The Wire (India)]]
| author      = Indradeep Bhattacharyya
| date        = 2022-08-08
| location    = [[Kolkata]]
| archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220819232411/https://thewire.in/education/kolkata-st-xaviers-university-professor-instagram
| archivedate = 2022-08-19
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live
| quote       = The academic, who has a PhD from two European universities, has further alleged that the process in which she was made to resign amounted to sexual harassment and deliberate character assassination. 
}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220819232411/https://thewire.in/education/kolkata-st-xaviers-university-professor-instagram mirror]
</ref>

<ref name=chennaimemes2022-08-10>
{{cite news      
| url         = https://chennaimemes.in/female-professor-terminated-for-uploading-bikini-picture-in-instagram-university-demanded-rs-99-crore-from-her/                       
| title       = Female Professor Terminated For Uploading Bikini Picture In Instagram !! University Demanded Rs. 99 Crore From Her
| work        = [[Chennai Memes]]
| author      = 
| date        = 2022-08-10
| page        = 
| location    = 
| isbn        = 
| language    = 
| trans-title = 
| archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220905010007/https://chennaimemes.in/female-professor-terminated-for-uploading-bikini-picture-in-instagram-university-demanded-rs-99-crore-from-her/
| archivedate = 2022-09-04
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live
| quote       = 
}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220905010007/https://chennaimemes.in/female-professor-terminated-for-uploading-bikini-picture-in-instagram-university-demanded-rs-99-crore-from-her/ mirror]
</ref>

<ref name=news18-2022-08-09>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://www.news18.com/news/education-career/st-xaviers-university-forces-prof-to-quit-as-students-looked-at-her-bikini-pictures-on-instagram-5716957.html
| title       = St Xavier’s Kolkata 'Forces' Prof to Quit as Students Looked at her Bikini Pictures on Instagram
| work        = [[News 18 (India)]]
| date        = 2022-08-09
| page        = 
| location    = 
| isbn        = 
| language    = 
| trans-title = 
| archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220819125505/https://www.news18.com/news/education-career/st-xaviers-university-forces-prof-to-quit-as-students-looked-at-her-bikini-pictures-on-instagram-5716957.html
| archivedate = 2022-08-19
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live      
| quote       = A former assistant professor at St Xavier’s University in Kolkata was allegedly asked to quit after a parent complained that he had noticed his son looking at photos of her in a bikini on Instagram.
}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220819125505/https://www.news18.com/news/education-career/st-xaviers-university-forces-prof-to-quit-as-students-looked-at-her-bikini-pictures-on-instagram-5716957.html mirror]
</ref>

<ref name=outlookindia2022-08-10>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://www.outlookindia.com/national/st-xavier-s-kolkata-teacher-slutshamed-forced-to-quit-after-student-looked-at-her-swimwear-pics-on-insta-news-215362
| title       = St Xavier's Kolkata Teacher 'Slutshamed', Forced To Quit After Student Looked At Her Swimwear Pics On Insta
| work        = [[Outlook India]]
| author      = 
| date        = 2022-08-10
| page        = 
| location    = 
| isbn        = 
| language    = 
| trans-title = 
| archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20220901164248/https://www.outlookindia.com/national/st-xavier-s-kolkata-teacher-slutshamed-forced-to-quit-after-student-looked-at-her-swimwear-pics-on-insta-news-215362
| archivedate = 2022-09-01
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live
| quote       = As per reports, the teacher was forced to quit by the college authorities for putting up "objectionable" posts on her Instagram feed which the college authorities claimed was "besmirching" the reputation of the institution, The Wire reported. 
}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20220901164248/https://www.outlookindia.com/national/st-xavier-s-kolkata-teacher-slutshamed-forced-to-quit-after-student-looked-at-her-swimwear-pics-on-insta-news-215362 mirror]
</ref>

<ref name=Wapo2022-09-04>
{{cite news     
| url         = https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/03/india-women-instagram-xaviers-university/
| title       = An Indian professor posted a swimsuit photo. Then her life fell apart.
| work        = [[Washington Post]]
| author      = Niha Masih
| date        = 2022-09-04
| page        = 
| location    = 
| isbn        = 
| language    = 
| trans-title = 
| archiveurl  = 
| archivedate = 
| accessdate  = 2022-09-04
| url-status  = live
| quote       = 
}}
</ref>
}}