UCD formally apologises to Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin over harassment

Picture shows UCD Academic, Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin; Pic:Naoise Culhane

Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin has received a formal apology from University College Dublin (UCD) for her treatment by a member of staff while she was lecturing at the college.

Dr Ní Shúilleabháin, an assistant professor in the school of mathematics and statistics at UCD, went public in September of 2020 about workplace stalking and harassment she faced on campus by a colleague.

In late 2019, Professor Hans-Benjamin Braun was charged with harassment under section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

At the time, court heard how the harassment took place between May 9th, 2015, and July 7th, 2017, and issued an order barring the professor from contacting Ní Shúilleabháin for five years.

The incidents she experienced included Braun repeatedly asking her out on dates, sending her unsolicited emails, telephoning her and arriving unannounced at her meetings.

At one point in those two years, he turned up at a hotel in Cork after seeing on social media that Dr Ní Shúilleabháin was on a weekend break with female friends. He was removed by gardaí from the hotel twice, on two consecutive days, and Dr Ní Shúilleabháin received a Garda escort out of Co Cork.

The harassment lasted for two years after her first bringing it to the attention of the university.

On Wednesday, she received a formal apology on behalf of the university from Acting President of UCD Professor Mark Rogers.

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. Photograph Moya Nolan

In the apology, Professor Rogers noted that the response from the university at the time was "inadequate" and that she was "not supported appropriately by other members of the university community".

Dr Ní Shúilleabháin spoke on social media in the aftermath of receiving the apology, writing: "Thank you sincerely to Acting President Prof. Mark Rogers for this formal apology from UCD .

"It is great relief (sic) to be able to move on from this with the acknowledgment that my experiences were not adequately or appropriately dealt with."

She added: "I’m so grateful for my friends & family who never let me let this go. I really hope others don’t experience what I went through. I hope my kids will grow up & study or work in environments that don’t accept bullying, harassment or violence in any form.

This is a great way to end 2022 & close the chapter on this.

"One big lesson I’ve learned is to #JoinAUnion. Thank you again to IFUT (Irish Federation of University Teachers) for their amazing support. I wish I had joined sooner (I only joined last year)."

"Nollaig Shona everyone."