LAT20170111

LATIMES.COM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY11, 2017 B

LOSANGELES

AUCLA professorwho
has been accused of sexual
harassment returned to
teaching this week, publicly
shamed and professionally
damaged.
History professor Gabri-
el Piterberg never admitted
any wrongdoing in cases in-
volvingtwo formergraduate
students.But heagreedina
2014 settlement with UCLA
to pay a $3,000fine, accept a
one-quarter suspension
without pay, be removed as
head of the university’s Cen-
ter for Near East Studies
and attend sexual harass-
ment training. UCLAalso
imposedrestrictionson his
behavior, includinga three-
year ban on closed-door
meetings with individual
students.
Thatwasn’t enough for
many students, whose noisy
protests outside his class-
room Monday promptedthe
cancellation of his two
classes. Theyvowed to con-
tinue theirprotestsWednes-
day morning when Pite-
rberg’s courses on the Ot-
toman Empire and Middle
East history from 500 to the
present meet.
“We wanted to send a
clear message to theuni-
versity and the history de-
partment that we don’t
think someone accused of
sexual harassment should
be teaching undergraduate
classes,” said Melissa
Melpignano,a four th-year
doctoral student and mem-
ber of Bruins Against Sexual
Harassment.

UCLA spokeswoman

KathrynKranholdsaidPite-

rberg would continue to

teachhisclassesthroughout

the quarter but that his lec-

tures would be videotaped

for students who prefer not

to attend in person.

She said students had

the rightto protest but also

to access all academic

course work. All members of

the UCLAcommunity share

the responsibility to pro-

mote the university mission

of teaching,research and

public service, she added.

Piterberg did not re-

spondto requests forcom-

ment. The professor, a Mid-

dle East specialist who

joined UCLAin1999, was ac-

cused bytwo femalegradu-

ate students ofrepeatedly

harassingthemover many

yearsbymakingsexualcom-

ments, pressing himself

against their bodies and

forcing histongue into their

mouths.

NefertitiTakla and Kris-

ten Glasgow filed a federal

lawsuit against the Uni-

versity of California in 2015,

alleging insufficientaction

on theircomplaints. They

reached a settlement last

September, with one stu-

dentreceiving $350,000and

the other$110,00 0 anda fel-

lowshipto support contin-

uedwor k on her disserta-

tion.

The 2014 settlement be-

tween UCLAand Piterberg

—which involved onlyTakla

and was not publiclyre-

leased untilMarch 2016 —

bars the university from

pursing further action with

theAcademicSenateto oust

him or jeopardize histenure.

UCLA also agreed to end its

Title IX investigation into

the harassment charges

withoutreaching a conclu-

sion.

The settlement was

widely criticized by stu-

dents, faculty and staff for

what they viewed as weak

sanctions and unwarranted

secrecy.

UCofficialssaidnewre-

forms have been launched

since the Piterberg case.

Proposed sanctionsof sen-

ior leaders and faculty are

now evaluated by campus

peerreview committees to

make sure theywere com-

mensurate with the miscon-

duct.

UCLA also has created a

new Office of Equity, Diver-

sity, andIncl usion, led by

Vice ChancellorJerry Kang,

and hired KathleenSalvaty,

awell-respected civil rights

attorney, as its Title IXcoor-

dinator.

“Since 2014, UCLA has

takensignificantstepstoen-

sure an effective responseto

sexual harassment and sex-

ual violence,” Kranhold said

in a statement. “UCLA is

committed to maintaining

an atmosphere where all

studentscan live and learn

free of discrimination, har-

assment,exploitation, or in-

timidation.”

Viola Ardeni,a four th-

year doctoral candidate in

the Department of Italian,

said students want more

transparency in how cases

are handled andresolved,

among other things, she

said.

“To obtain more trans-

parencywould bea bigger

victory than having (Pite-

rberg) removed,” Ardeni

said.

Still, students saidthey

intend to resume their pro-

tests Wednesday.

On Monday, they hung a

posterinhisclassroomsay-

ing, “Good morning sexual

harasser” and placedfliers

about hiscase on the seats.

Acampusofficial removed

thefliers andsignbeforePit-

erberg arrived for his8 a.m.

class but left intacta mes-

sage written on the black-

board saying, “Ifa tenured

professor sexuallyassaults

his own students, it’s abuse

of power,” Melpignano said.

Five students in the

classroom stoodand held

signs calling for his ouster,

while dozens of others

chantedprotests outside his

classroom. After about 20

minutes, Piterberg canceled

the class. Piterberg’s second

class, a survey ofMiddle

East history from 500 to the

present, alsowas also can-

celed.

The Daily Bruin, which

reported the story, quoted

one student who said he

planned to drop his class.

teresa.watanabe

@latimes.com

UCLA professor focus of protests

UCLA STUDENTSheld a protest lastyearover the university's handling of sexual harassment complaints

against history professor Gabriel Piterberg. He faced more dissenters when he returned to teaching Monday.

Luis SincoLos Angeles Times

Educator sanctioned

in sex harassmentcase

returnstocampus but

cancels his classes.

ByTeresaWatanabe

But a Dick Clark Produc-

tions spokespersontold The

Times that Carey hadde-

clineda soundcheck and

should have been ableto

hear the prerecorded music.

Careysaidshewastaking

abreak from social mediato

prepare for her tour but

would continueto meet her

personalobligations.

vero nica.rocha

@latimes.com

Los Angeles police on

Tuesdaywere tryingto find

the person who vandalized

Mariah Carey’s star on the

HollywoodWalk of Fame.

The vandalismwas re-

ported to policeMonday af-

tera photographofthedam-

agedstarappearedonInsta-

gram, said AnaMartinez,

spokeswoman for the Holly-

wood Walk of Fame.

Someone had scribbled a

blue question mark after the

singer’s name.

Crews removed the ques-

tion mark and polished

Carey’s star. The repairs

cost $1,500, Martinez said.

Carey made headlines

last week after her botched

NewYear’s Eveperformance

in Times Square.

The televised breakdown

happened during thesuper-

star’s performance of her hit

“Emotions” on “Dick Clark’s

NewYear’s Rockin ’EveWith

Ryan Seacrest” on ABC.

During the performance,

Careywalked around the

stage, sang bits of the song

and said they hadn’t re-

hearsed it in soundcheck.

After the performance,

Carey and her spokeswom-

an blamed the problems on

technical difficulties.

On Sunday, Careyposted

arecordedmessageonTwit-

ter, saying the production

team “choseto capitalize on

circumstances beyond our

control.”

“It’s not practical for a

singertosingliveandbeable

to hear themselves properly

in the middle of Times

Squarewithallthenoise,the

freezing cold, the smoke

from the smoke machines,

thousands of people cele-

brating, especially when

theirear monitorswerenot

working at all,” she said.

“Listenguys, they spoiled

me. Thus, itturned into an

opportunity to humiliate me

and all those whowereex-

citedto ring in the new year

with me.”

Singer’s star is vandalized

MARIAHCAREYmade headlines after her botchedNew Ye ar’s Eve perform-

ance in Times Square. Her HollywoodWalk ofFame star was vandalized Monday.

Angela WeissAFP/Getty Images

AfterNew Ye ar’sEve

fiasco,someone drew

onMariah Carey’s

Walk ofFame spot.

ByVeronica Rocha

ALos Angeles manwas
indicted on suspicion oftry-
ing to smuggle heroin
wrapped in Christmas-
themed paper onto a flight
departing Los Angeles
International Airport, fed-
eral authorities said.
Afederal grand jury
Tuesday indicted James
Mitchell, 25, on one count of

possession with intent to

distribute heroin ona Fron-

tier Airlines flight to Cincin-

nati,accordingtotheU.S.at-

torney’s office.

If convicted, Mitchell

facesupto lifeinfederalpris-

on, federal prosecutors said.

Mitchell was arrested

Dec.21, more than a week af-

ter authorities discovered 13

pounds of heroin — esti-

matedto have a street value

of $2.1 million— inside his

luggage, prosecutors said.

After Mitchellchecked in

for hisflight Dec.10, he also

checkeda piece of luggage,

according to federal prose-

cutors. As the luggagewent

through an image scan, se-

curity workers were “alerted

to an unknown dense mate-

rial” inside the bag, prose-

cutors said.

After inspecting the lug-

gage, security workers found

“s ixpackagesofasuspicious

gray brittle concrete-like

substance,” according to the

attorney’s office.

Oneof the packages had

avinegar odor and triggered

aclosureintheairport’s Te r-

minal 3 while itwas exam-

ined by crews to determine

whether itposed achemical

threat.

Meanwhile, FrontierAir-

lines staffers called Mitchell,

whotold them hewas in the

restroombecause hewas il l,

prosecutors said.

Instead, surveillance

cameras showed Mitchell on

his cellphone leaving theter-

minal, accor dingto the U.S.

attorney’s office.Hewasalso

seenremovinga beaniefrom

his head, changing his

sweater andwalkingaway

from the airport, prose-

cutors said.

Mitchellworked for In-

glewood-based Aero Port

Services and had accessto

secure areas in theairport,

prosecutors said. He is

scheduledto appearJan. 18

in U.S. District Court.

vero nica.rocha

@latimes.com

Gift-wrapped drugs lead to charges

Man is indicted on

smuggling allegations

afterheroin was found

in his luggageat LAX.

ByVeronica Rocha

The former wife ofa fugi-

tive Chinesegovernment of-

ficial will forfeit an esti-

mated$28millioninSanGa-

brielValleyproperty after

pleadingguilty this week to

defrauding immigrationof-

ficials as part of a scheme to

escape to the U.S. with

stolen Chinese public funds,

the U.S. at torney’s officean-

nouncedTuesday.

Shilan Zhao,53, of New-

castle,Wash.,falselyclaimed

that shewas still marriedto

her former husband,Jianjun

Qiao,53, during theapplica-

tionprocessforanEB-5visa,

aprogram that allows immi-

grant investors to obtain

visas for themselves and

family members inexchange

for $500,000 or$1-million in-

vestments in U.S. enter-

prises. Zhao and Qiaowere

oncemarried,buttheyregis-

tered a divorce in China in

2001, according to court re-

cords.

Zhao also liedabout the

source of the money shewas

investing as part of the visa

program, according to a

news release announcing

the guilty plea.She claimed

the money camefrom her

ownership stakes in two

flourcompanies, Shoukou

Luwang Flour Co., and

Huaiyang County Huihua

Flour Co., but she had no in-

volvement in either, accord-

ing to court records.

Qiao, who is still at large,

is the former directorof the

Zhoukou Municipal Grain

Reserve, a Chinesegovern-

ment agencyresponsible for

purchasing and sellinggrain

in Henan province,accor d-

ing to afederalgrandjuryin-

dictment unsealed in 2015.

Qiao madeillicit deals with

the Chinese government’s

grain and used theembez-

zled proceedsto buy proper-

ty in the U.S., the indictment

said.

When Qiao and Zhao

came to the U.S. in 2009, fed-

eral investigators say, they

transferredabout $4 million

in embezzled funds from

Chinato banks in theU.S.

Afederal grandjury in-

dicted Zhaoand Qiao in 20 14

on charges of transporting

stolen money and lying on

their visa applications. Zhao

wasarrestedin 2015 in Wash-

ington.

Qiao is now third on a list

of 100 most-wantedcorrupt

officials thatwas created in

2015 as part of a crackdown

on Chinesegovernmentcor-

ruption called Operation

Sky Net.

TwoChinese lawenforce-

ment agencies, the Supreme

People’s Procuratorate and

the Ministry of Public Secu-

rity of the People’s Republic

of China, assisted the inves-

tigation, butU.S. attorney’s

office spokesman Thom

Mrozek declinedto say how

the agencieswereinvolved.

As part of the plea deal,

Zhao will forfeitownership

of a home inNewcastle, a

condo inFlus hing, N.Y., and

four properties inMonterey

Park: Hong Kong Super-

market, a BestWestern ho-

tel, an apartmentcomplex

on ChandlerAvenue and the

empty lot nextto it.

The properties will be

usedto pay restitution and

whatever monetary penal-

ties a judge rules app ropri-

ate, according to the release.

The Washington home

was purchased with stolen

money, according to the in-

dictment. AndMrozek said

some of the moneyfrom the

illi cit grain dealswas also

usedto purchase theMon-

terey Park properties.

County records show the

properties have a combined

assessed valueof more than

$28 million.

Zhao, who hasagreed to

assistthe ongoing investiga-

tion, facesa maximum pen-

alty of five years in federal

prison. Her attorney, Kirk

Davis, declined to comment

Tuesday.

Zhao’s sentencing is

scheduled forNovember.

[email protected]

Twitter: @frankshyong

$28 million in

land forfeited

in visa case

ByFrank Shyong