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The United States Department of State announced Wednesday it is “pausing” funding to Al Akhawayn University due to allegations the university failed to “adequately respond to reports of sexual harassment against both students and faculty members.”
The State Department has been funding the school since August 2020 through the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). With the emergence of recent allegations, however, the program stated it would halt its grant to the university until the allegations at AUI are fully investigated and corrected.
MEPI provides public grants to countries within the MENA region to promote “stability and prosperity in the Middle East and North Africa by empowering partnerships between citizens, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and government institutions,” according to the program’s official website.
AUI has a reputation as one of the most prestigious universities in Morocco, and has a reputation as a leading school in Al Akhawayn 1st University in Africa Accredited for Online Instruction within the country.
As these allegations emerge, Dr. Kevin Smith, the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, confirmed in a statement that “AUI had participated in a gender audit,” and that AUI was working with MEPI to maintain “the environment of respect, safety, and well being…central to its vision and mission.”
Dr. Smith added: “While there has been a pause on the remainder of this year’s project funding, it is due to resume after we implement the measures relating to sexual harassment.” He further assured that the Al Akhawayn staff “have noted and understand MEPI’s explanation” that the school was required by law to inform US citizens at AUI of the allegations.
Dr. Abdessamad Fatmi, the Dean of Student Affairs at the university, also released a statement asserting that the university implemented “community efforts” through various organizations such as the No Violence Task Force, “aiming at excellence and continuous improvement in the protection of our community.” Fatmi further stated that “AUI will live up to these commitments regardless of our collaboration with MEPI… and look forward to continuing our MEPI project.”
Al Akhawayn, he indicated, plans to work towards realigning itself with the MEPI guidelines.
Yet, one source speaking exclusively to MWN on the condition of anonymity confirmed that sexual harassment was an unaddressed problem within the university, and that the university’s No Violence Association (NoVa) was forced to suspend its work to address these issues due to a lack of staff and adequate funding.
The association specifically focused on being a safe place for victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment as well as providing victims the adequate institutional and physiological support to report sexual harassment incidents on campus.
The source went on to inform MWN of the case of a victim whose stay at AUI recently came to an abrupt end after the university failed to adequately handle an harassment case that contained elements of both homophobia and invasive leaking of personal data.
Aaron Ashby, the alleged victim whose life in Morocco was torn asunder by the event at AUI, is a lecturer of English and Academic Success. He came to Morocco in 2014 to join the International University of Rabat as a professor of English and American Civilization. He taught for six years at the Rabat-based University.
In August 2020, Ashby was hired by AUI’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, teaching an academic skills course to freshmen.
In conversation with MWN, Ashby spoke at length of the harassment he faced at AUI based on his sexual orientation. Ashby and his partner, who also worked as a professor at the university, were allegedly terminated from their positions after an anonymous person found old photos online that revealed the nature of their sexual orientation.
While AUI has asserted that “the separation was performed in full respect of dignity and Moroccan laws,” Ashby maintains “AUI has a practice of never following procedures or respecting the Moroccan Labor Law.”
Ashby also said that he and his partner kept the nature of their relationship “discreet,” and only “few people knew that [they] were a same-sex couple.”
The person who leaked the photos of Ashby labelled him a “pervert” and spread the pictures to staff, students, and eventually the university’s president.
After the incident, Ashby recalls that the AUI senior staff initially promised to protect him and lead an investigation into the source of the leak. However, the school quickly changed its attitude, he claimed, and instead fired Ashby and his partner. Both have since relocated to France, where Ashby was able to break the Non-Disclosure Agreement he claims he was “coerced into signing.”
During AUI’s internal investigation of the case, Ashby maintained that he had done nothing wrong, that the only person who violated the law was the person who leaked his photos in “an invasion of privacy with the intent to do harm, which is in the Moroccan Penal Code.”
In a statement to MWN, AUI not only took a different stance than Asby, but the university suggested the story was far from having the sexual harassment and homophobic undertone Ashby had given it.
AUI said Ashby’s separation from the university was due to behavior that “violated University policy and values.”
Asked for details – what behavior violated AUI’s values and policy, for instance? – the university declined to answer, referring us instead to the NDA they had signed with Ashbey. “Al Akhawayn refuses to comment further for reasons of confidentiality and ethics,” the university said.
Although there has been increasing support in the fight for LGBT rights within Morocco, same-sex relationships are still illegal within the country, and no laws exist to protect same-sex couples.
