'Women Wearing Shorts Distract Teachers, Invite Sexual Harassment': University VC's 'Fatherly' Advice Sparks Outrage

Chennai: A huge protest broke out at the Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU) in Tiruchirappalli after Vice-Chancellor Professor V Nagaraj linked female students' clothes to sexual harassment. He claimed that women wearing shorts "invites sexual harassment" and is a "distraction" even for faculty members.

Students gathered outside the administrative block of the university, wearing shorts and raised slogans like “Change the mindset, not our dress." They demanded a public apology from the Vice-Chancellor, who had allegedly made a series of sexist remarks during a Class Representatives meeting. He apparently called his statements “fatherly advice” for the students.

The protesting students issued a statement saying, “The Vice-Chancellor stated that women students wearing shorts ‘invites sexual harassment’ and constitutes a ‘distraction’ even for faculty members.” They also alleged that V Nagaraj expressed pride while giving ‘advice’ to students.

Nagaraj has backed his comments, saying they were blown out of proportion.

Notably, this is not the first time Nagaraj has made a controversial statement. While serving as a faculty member in National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in 2016, he had made a similar sexist remark on a female student wearing shorts to class.

Referring to the past incident, TNNLU students said, “We, the student community, unequivocally condemn and categorically reject these remarks…The Vice Chancellor's statements across two institutions signals not an isolated lapse in judgment, but a pattern of institutional conduct that normalises harassment and burdens its victims.”

They added, “We formally demand a public retraction and apology, an institutional inquiry, and an affirmation that clothing does not contribute to harassment. We call upon fellow NLUs and the legal fraternity at large, to stand with us.”

Who Is V Nagaraj?

Professor Dr V Nagaraj is the Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu National Law University (TNNLU), Tiruchirappalli. Dr Nagaraj has more than 32 years of teaching experience.

He earlier served as the Vice-Chancellor of the National Law University Odisha (NLUO), Cuttack, and the Vice-Chancellor of the Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

He was a Research Scholar at Vanderbilt Law School, USA, during 1994 and at Warwick University, UK, during 1997. He was also the Coordinator of the Centre for The Institute of Law and Ethics in Medicine (TILEM) at the Law School and was in charge of the Legal Services Clinic of NLSIU.

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