The special committee set up to examine an appeal by University of Guyana lecturer Evan RadhayPersaud, accused of victimising students, is still to complete its work.

Registrar Vincent Alexander told Stabroek News that the committee established to hear the appeal filed by Persaud was doing its work.

However, he said, the university closed on December 24 and will re-open on January 4. Since its closure, he said, there have been no meetings and nothing has happened. Alexander said the entire academic community is on leave and so nothing is likely to happen until the university re-opens.

Persaud was officially suspended by the University Council after an investigative committee found that allegations made my students against the lecturer were valid. UG Pro-Chancellor Prem Misir had mentioned the special committee when he called a press conference last month to explain the procedure when any complaint was lodged against a lecturer. He later confirmed that the committee was established and is meeting.

In letters to Alexander, students alleged that Persaud had victimised and intimidated them, particularly students sponsored by a mining company. One student related that on the first day in class, Persaud told them, “Leave y’all God at the [expletive] door,” saying that he was god in the classroom. Further, the student charged that most of the time spent in class was “sex talking time”. The student also reported that a 2008 examination supervised by Persaud was held at a city hotel and students who opposed this were victimised.

The student said too that after a decision was made by UG for Persaud’s examinations to be invigilated, he told students that he would give them information about the examination. He said too that Persaud spoke openly about using his political links to victimise the sponsored students.

Two other students claimed that they were prevented from writing an examination on the claim that they had not passed their course work. They maintained, however, that they had submitted their work to Persaud but it was never returned. They said he had done the same in two previous courses he had taught.