Singapore — Sacked National University of Singapore (NUS) college don Jeremy Fernando has made a police report of his own, in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct levelled by two students.
The students alleged that the former Tembusu College fellow made non-consensual sexual advances towards them. Dr Fernando was fired on Oct 7 and the NUS announced on Wednesday (Oct 21) that it lodged a police report “given the seriousness of the allegations”.
On Saturday (Oct 24), Dr Fernando issued an apology for the distress the scandal has brought to those around him. He said: “I would like to apologise for the distress these events have caused to those caught up in this situation, and those closest to me.”
He added, in a statement to Today: “I have also made my own report to the police on a related aspect of this situation. Given the ongoing nature of these investigations and because I understand I may be bound by certain obligations of confidentiality, I am unable to comment on these other proceedings at this moment.”
Dr Fernando said that he fully accepted the NUS decision to sack him on the grounds of a breach of its code of conduct. He said he had cooperated fully with both the NUS internal probe and the ongoing police investigations.
He added: “As a consequence, I was dismissed on the grounds of an intimate association with an undergraduate.”
Dr Fernando said he had not spoken on the matter initially as investigations were under way. Sharing that this time “has been a period of reflection” for him, he said: “I now feel that given the seriousness of the allegations made against me, it is important that I make this statement to clarify my position, as much as I am able to at this point.” /TISG