Professor Using Students as Servants Loses Suit
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
A 50-year-old female professor at Ewha Womans University, who forced students to do chores at her home and extorted money from them, has lost a suit she filed against the school to nullify sanctions on her, a Seoul court said Thursday.
Among the chores were house cleaning, watering plants, trash disposal and changing the filters in her vacuum cleaner.
The students also had to take care of her around the clock when she was hospitalized and perform tax-related tasks, according to a ruling statement.
The professor, identified only as Park, well known in the field of textile arts, even extorted part of one student's scholarship, worth 2.76 million won ($2,200), saying the student did not fulfill her duties, the court said.
In 2007, Park faced a one-month salary reduction after a student filed a complaint with the school authorities. Park denied the charges.
As the school refused to withdraw the punishment, the professor filed a suit with the Seoul Administrative Court. But the court also went against her wishes.
Presiding judge Lee Nae-joo said, "The punishment against her was appropriate."