Courtesy of Eckerd College
By Emily Wunderlich
A well-known teacher and researcher who was given an unpaid courtesy appointment in USF’s College of Marine Science last June has been suspended following accusations that he sexually harassed a former student at Eckerd College.
David Hastings was suspended and “will not be performing any activities relating to this appointment on campus or otherwise,” said Althea Paul, media relations manager for the university system, in an email to The Crow’s Nest.
Paul said the university was “made aware” of the allegations against Hastings on Jan. 3, the day the Tampa Bay Times published a story about a lawsuit that a former research assistant at Eckerd filed against him in Pinellas County Circuit Court on Dec. 16.
In her suit, the student accuses Hastings of “severe and pervasive sexual harassment,” alleging that he “groomed” her for sexual exploitation while she was a research assistant for him between May and July of 2018.
At one point, the student alleges, she walked into Hastings’ office at a pre-arranged meeting time to find him masturbating.
In her lawsuit, the student is seeking in excess of $15,000 – which is standard in a civil lawsuit in Florida circuit court – plus interest, attorneys’ fees and costs.
The Crow’s Nest is not naming the student because of the nature of the allegations. Her attorney did not respond to a telephone message or email seeking comment.
Hastings, who also did not respond for comment, taught at Eckerd for 20 years, according to his LinkedIn profile, and built a formidable reputation as a researcher on climate change.
In September, he concluded a widely publicized collaborative research study between USF and Eckerd College that discovered that roughly 4 billion particles of microplastics are clogging the waters of Tampa Bay.
‘Egregious conduct’
The lawsuit describes the former student as “a highly dedicated, involved, motivated and an all-around outstanding member of the Eckerd College community,” with an average 3.8 GPA and multiple scholarships on her record.
In May 2018, Hastings hired her as a full-time research assistant in the geochemistry lab for the summer. The appointment was not a graduation requirement, according to the lawsuit, nor did it count for academic credit. As compensation, she would receive a $3,000 stipend and free housing.
The harassment began in June 2018, the lawsuit says, when Hastings took the student to lunch outside of work and paid for her meal. When Hastings ran into an acquaintance, he insinuated the student was his girlfriend.
Then, on June 16, Hastings allegedly pressured her to ride with him to the airport. He insisted she leave her car at his house and enter his residence to discuss “private matters unrelated to work.”
Once the student separated from Hastings at the airport, the lawsuit says, he called her, pressuring her to pick him up from the airport on the evening of his landing. She refused.
Hastings would later deny both incidents to an Eckerd investigator.
On July 5, the student notified Hastings that she would be attending an on-campus seminar and would return to his office about 4 p.m. When she announced her arrival, Hastings was masturbating in his office and did not stop until “conclusion.”
Hastings “readily” admitted to masturbating in his office during the day while Eckerd was open and in session, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit says he went on to discuss work matters with the student while his pants were still undone and his legs were wide apart.
“Hastings intended for (the student) to observe his masturbation,” the lawsuit says. “At the very least, Hastings was extremely reckless in allowing for (the student) to see his masturbation.”
The following day, at an off-campus work gathering at a popsicle shop, Hastings allegedly asked the student if she “wanted to taste his popsicle.”
The student realized she could not return to work with Hastings present and “promptly reported” the incidents to the vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty, Suzan Harrison.
According to the lawsuit, Harrison “actively discouraged her from moving forward with a formal complaint” and insinuated the student could lose her major, her job and certain academic rights, like doing her thesis and research.
As a result, the lawsuit says, the student lost wages, employment opportunities and scholarships and missed a semester of school when she was forced to quit her job and withdraw from Eckerd because of the unbearable working conditions.
“No reasonable person would continue under the circumstances,” the lawsuit says.
The student filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission on Oct. 10, 2018, the lawsuit says.
Eleven months later, the EEOC ruled against the student, her lawsuit says, but an investigator hired by the college concluded that Hastings had sexually exploited her.
Hastings was allowed to “retire with honor” from Eckerd and maintain an office there, the lawsuit says, and on June 2, 2019, he was granted an unpaid courtesy appointment at USF.
“As a courtesy faculty, Dr. Hastings will have a greater level of interaction with our faculty and students and continue to be a respected resource and collaborator in the ongoing research of the college,” according to the offer letter in his USF personnel file.
Courtesy appointments
According to Paul, the university system spokeswoman, USF has approximately 1,400 unpaid courtesy faculty.
Courtesy appointments can last up to five years before renewal. Hastings’ was set to expire on Aug. 6, 2022.
At the time of the allegations, Hastings was Eckerd’s only professor in marine chemistry. He earned a doctorate in oceanography from the University of Washington in 1995, and his biography page on the Eckerd website listed several awards and published op-eds on climate science and solutions.
The lawsuit noted that Hastings’ contact information, office location and accomplishments were still touted on the school’s website. On Jan. 10, Hastings was still listed in the faculty director, but his contact information and biography page had been removed.
If Hastings was the subject of an EEOC complaint and lengthy investigation at Eckerd before coming to USF, what did the university know when it offered him a courtesy appointment?
In her email to The Crow’s Nest, Paul sidestepped the matter, saying only that the university was “made aware” of the accusations on Jan. 3, the day they were published in the Times.
In a meeting with USF St. Petersburg faculty and staff on Jan. 10, Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock was asked the same question.
“I can’t answer that because I don’t know,” said Tadlock, whose responsibilities do not include oversight of the College of Marine Science, which is based in St. Petersburg but reports to Tampa.
Hastings has been suspended and is not allowed on campus, Tadlock said, and an investigation is “in place and proceeding.”
“We just don’t tolerate anything related to sexual harassment,” he said. “We just don’t.”
Katlynn Mullins contributed to this report.
