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LOOKING FOR AN INTERNSHIP THAT MAKES AN IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY? Check-out careers.aarp.org AARP in San Jose is hiring and what we do might surprise you. and search ID 12459189 Volume 149, Issue 25 www.sjsunews.com/spartan_daily Thursday, October 19, 2017 SPARTAN DAILY SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934 FOLLOW US! /spartandaily @SpartanDaily @spartandaily /spartandailyYT MUSICAL SOCCER #spartanpolls SHOWCASE OF DEFENSIVE Should employers include SJSU TALENT PLAYERS AWARDED birth control in benefi ts? See full story See full story 87% Yes on page 4 on page 7 13% No RECOLLECTIONS Alumna recounts alleged sexual harassment by former professor BY SARAH KLIEVES to ask about a grade. SJSU removed Mathis Photo Editor from his position nine months after the initial claims were made. The semester started off like any other. But a Doe said that Aptekar never touched her, but few unsettling weeks in, one student knew that asked her out numerous times. it wasn’t going to be a normal one. “He openly told me, ‘Will you date me?’ I “I could see his dirty stares at other students… laughed. I said, ‘Do you know you’re going students much younger [than me],” Jane Doe* to get into trouble for telling me this? I’m said. “After that, I thought maybe I gave him your student.’” this impression because I’m an older student, Doe said he replied, saying, “‘Well you’re not in my forties, that I’m more age appropriate. going to be my student in a few months once But when he started looking at young girls… you graduate.’ I thought, is this guy serious? I in their early twenties, I thought, ‘This asshole, said, ‘This is sexual harassment, do you know he needs to be stopped.’” that?’ He said, ‘No it’s not. I didn’t touch you.’ In the spring of 2013, Doe was a graduate I said, ‘You don’t have to touch me.’” student in San Jose State’s department of Doe said she felt that she needed to come counselor education (EDCO). She was set to forward during the 2015 investigation because graduate at the end of that semester and was she was “worried about other students, eager to fi nish strong. younger ones.” Doe only needed to take one more class and She didn’t attend her own graduation enrolled in former EDCO professor Lewis because of the harassment she was receiving Aptekar’s class: EDCO 282: Assessment for from Aptekar. Counselors. The class was scheduled once a According to Doe, he told her he had tickets week for three hours. for graduation and said she needed to attend She alleges she soon became subjected to the ceremony with him. sexual harassment by Aptekar. “He didn’t say the words, but he was still Doe said Aptekar informed students that holding it over me,” Doe said. “Like, ‘you as part of being trained as counselors, they still have to pass the class,’ basically. He was needed to be open to counseling themselves. ILLUSTRATION BY JOSE F. GOVEA literally keeping me hostage.” She added that he required all students to That happened for one particular assignment. emails to Griffi th after. However, she told him she had other attend one-on-one counseling sessions during She emailed him after the deadline, asking what Doe was interviewed by Griffi th, but her commitments and wouldn’t attend. his offi ce hours before class. she could do to make up for the assignments. claims against Aptekar were not substantiated. “I didn’t go to my graduation because of that “He was asking very personal questions, He emailed her back multiple times, once “The earlier, 2014 case came to light after asshole,” Doe said. “I will never forgive him and being open to counseling, I was sharing on April 25, 2013 and again on April 30, 2013 the inquiry into the 2015 allegations,” SJSU for that.” very personal information with him… things stating, “A change in lifestyle” and “Think media relations director Pat Harris said in The 2015 university investigation into a I wouldn’t tell anybody else,” Doe said. change in lifestyle.” an email on Aug. 21, 2017. “Ultimately, those sexual harassment claim made by another After two counseling sessions and Aptekar “My jaw dropped,” she said. “And still I allegations were not substantiated.” student against Aptekar found him guilty. He having requested a third, she started wasn’t taking him seriously. It was silly. He The Spartan Daily reached out to Griffi th was placed on paid administrative leave for 10 questioning if she was the only student that he continued this way, and at some point he made numerous times via email and in person. She days. A few months later, he stepped down as was requiring to attend these sessions. me believe that I would fail if I didn’t continue declined to comment. department chair. He returned to SJSU and “I’m trusting him as my professor,” she to play his games.” Harris responded to the Spartan Daily on was on payroll for almost two years after the continued. “He told me that I would have to She provided that email chain to Debra Griffi th’s behalf. investigation concluded before he resigned on come to one more session.” Griffi th on Oct. 5, 2015. Griffi th was the Title “We are unable to comment given the Sept. 30, 2017. Doe said she wasn’t able to attend the third IX investigator who interviewed Doe as part confi dentiality of the Title IX process and Aptekar’s lawyer, Elisa Stewart, made a because she had to leave work early. After that of a separate 2015 investigation where another pending litigation,” Harris said in an email. statement to the Spartan Daily on Aptekar’s she claims Aptekar appeared to be mad at her student fi led a sexual harassment complaint However, Doe’s experience in 2013 didn’t behalf in regards to Doe’s statements. and was keeping his distance in the classroom. against Aptekar. surface until the 2015 investigation was opened. “The problem is this, I cannot respond, In addition to not communicating well with Griffi th interviewed Doe after she forwarded Part of the reason Doe never came forward nor could anyone defend themselves against her, Doe said Aptekar wasn’t communicating her the email chain from Aptekar. After the in 2013 was because of a separate ongoing anonymous complaints,” Stewart said. well with the class. 2015 complainant and her adviser, Jason investigation into former kinesiology lecturer “His course outline was completely different. Laker, gave Griffi th Doe’s information, Doe Jeffry Mathis. *Editor’s Note: The name of the former [It was] not even what he was teaching in the said Griffi th failed to contact her. “I didn’t want to fi le a case because of my job, graduate student from spring 2013, Jane Doe, classroom,” Doe said. “That was the worst Laker is an EDCO professor and served as because of my grade and because of the other was changed at her request. class I took in the EDCO program. He was the 2015 complainant’s adviser during the [Mathis] case,” Doe said. “I saw how it goes.” not following his assignment sheet. He posted Title IX investigation at her request. According to the Mercury News, Mathis assignments and deadlines on Canvas, but Doe left multiple phone messages for Griffi th was accused in August 2012 of sexually Follow Sarah on Twitter never activated assignments.” and received no response. She forwarded the assaulting a student who went to his offi ce @sarah_klieves 2 NEWS Thursday, October 19, 2017 Residents experience Spartans strive for water inconsistencies sustainable campus BY JONAS ELAM is very common in dorms and apartments. BY KAYLEE LAWLER “A lot of the waste here on campus is Staff Writer He added that these solutions are typically Staff Writer composted and it gets taken down to a compost quick to implement. facility [Z-Best],” Wonder said. “Everything Residents of Campus Village B (CVB) have “It’s actually a really easy fi x,” Over the span of a week, Blake goes into commercial grade composting experienced inconsistent water pressure and Barnes said. “So it makes sense that the collected 24 pieces of a variety of facilities where it turns back into soil.” temperature in their apartments. maintenance workers are solving the paper products ranging from napkins On campus, trash bins labeled “Single Some students have complained on social problems quickly. They’re on top of their to facial tissues, 14 food wrappers and Stream” are later sorted off-site through the media about not being able to access hot stuff because that’s a lot of apartments.” five plastic containers. That is only a company GreenWaste Recovery. Employees water or water not coming out of their Students who contact maintenance to portion of the waste Blake cataloged sort through the trash by hand so that items faucets at a high enough pressure. fi x problems say they have seen quick and does not include food-related waste. can be recycled or composted properly. “This isn’t really a new thing,” solutions but minimal responses to follow- To show her efforts toward a greener and “We have an 83 percent diversion rate kinesiology alumnus John Fernandez said. up questions. more sustainable campus, environmental which means only 17 percent is going “When I went to San Jose [State], we had “A couple weeks ago the faucet was studies junior Rachel to the landfill, and by water problems a lot. But there are a lot leaking water and it was smelling bad,” Blake kept track of definition 90 percent of apartments, so problems are going to mechanical engineering junior Erik her waste production.