laurels and darts We laurel Career
BULLET JOURNALS Dare to try a more creative
WRESTLING No. 18 Rutgers welcomes No. 1 Penn
see opinions, page 6
Services for helping students seek out jobs
and involved way to get organized
see InSIDE BEAT, page 8
State to the Rutgers Athletic Center Sunday
SEE Sports, back
WEATHER Sunny High: 43 Low: 29
Serving the Rutgers community since 1869. Independent since 1980.
rutgers university—new brunswick
FriDAY, January 26, 2018
online at dAilytargum.com
Investigation into professor’s background shows sexual assault charges Kira Herzog News Editor
Rutgers University placed adjunct professor Sombudha Adhikari on administrative leave yesterday in light of a previous criminal sexual misconduct charge brought to attention by The Daily Targum. According to a June 2009 article from The Daily Record, police arrested the current Rutgers Business School lecturer in 2009 for inappropriately grabbing the breasts and inner thighs of one of his students at Fairleigh Dickinson University. At the time, he was teaching courses as a part-time lecturer at both schools. Adhikari pled guilty to the sexual misconduct charges in court, disclosing to the judge that he had “sought to gratify himself by letting his hand fall between the woman’s thighs.” The victim told police that the incident took place after an exam in a classroom on Fairleigh Dickinson’s main campus, according to The Daily Record. Adhikari was released on a $5,000 bail and terminated from his position at Fairleigh Dickinson almost nine years ago, but Adhikari’s employment status at Rutgers remained active. He teaches multiple sections in the
business departments at both Rutgers—Newark and the University’s flagship campus. Peter Englot, the senior vice chancellor for Public Affairs at Rutgers—Newark, said the University renewed the professor’s contract in 2015, though he was initially hired in 2008. Prior to his arrest Adhikari was listed in course rosters by his full name, “Sombudha.” He is now listed as “Sam Adhikari” on official course rosters at Rutgers, as well as Temple University and Montclair State University. Adhikari does not have an individual staff page or photo on the Rutgers website. The Daily Targum submitted a formal request for comment to Rutgers administrators and a University spokesperson notified the paper that the University had accounted for the new information and suspended Adhikari. “Mr. Adhikari was immediately placed on administrative leave when issues regarding his background were brought to the chancellor’s attention,” the spokesperson said. “He will remain on administrative leave until a comprehensive review of the circumstances surrounding his background has been completed.”
While teaching at Fairleigh Dickinson University, adjunct professor Sombudha Adhikari reportedly groped a female student, prompting her to alert authorities. Adhikari was arrested and charged with fourth degree criminal sexual misconduct. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Rutgers expands resources for undocumented students Abner Bonilla Staff Writer
Shortly after the government shutdown, Rutgers Chancellor Debasish Dutta announced that he appointed a new caseworker, Yuriana Garcia Tellez, to advocate for the 500 undocumented students who attend Rutgers. LINKEDIN
The federal government shut down this weekend over a disagreement for the future of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Though the government reopened its doors on Monday, there has not been a permanent solution for the approximately 500 students enrolled at Rutgers and more than 690,000 DACA recipients nationwide. Despite the legislative confusion, Rutgers has hired a new immigration case manager to provide more resources to the University’s undocumented community. To provide additional advocacy and support for undocumented students, Chancellor Debasish Dutta sent an email that announced the hire of a new case manager, Yuriana Garcia Tellez. Garcia Tellez arrived at Rutgers with experience serving the University of Washington’s undocumented community as a coordinator for their Leadership Without Borders (LWB) program. The LWB program’s mission is to build a safe and empowering space for undocumented students and to give resources to scholarships, textbook lending, leadership development
VOLUME 149, ISSUE 134 • University ... 3 • opinions ... 6 • INSIDE BEAT... 8 • Diversions ... 9 • SPORTS ... BACK
opportunities and referrals to other campus and community resources, according to their website. At Rutgers, Garcia Tellez said she will oversee Rutgers’ three campuses and will identify the priorities of each campus in terms of providing resources to its undocumented student community. Some examples include seeing if certain campuses need more community development programs, a better system to connect students to certain resources or to give “UndocuAlly” training to faculty, she said. A recent federal court decision directed President Donald J. Trump’s administration to resume accepting DACA renewal applications. While renewal applications will continue to be accepted until a court decision is decided, Ross Baker, a distinguished professor in the Department of Political Science, said the court case revolves around a “technicality” of not whether the president has the constitutional power to end DACA, but rather the way in which he can end the program will be decided. Until a final court decision is reached, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has See students on Page 4