The power dynamic between professors and students often results in inappropriate behavior. Smart professors recognize the risk in these situations and stop it cold. Others are… less intelligent. Such is the case of the alleged actions of Marcia Klotz and her student.
Klotz is accused of essentially driving a former student into the hospital. Why? Because she was once a bondage model, according to the Oregonian:
Whitney “Theda” Orlando alleges in her federal lawsuit that professor Marcia Klotz fixated on her sexual history and bondage work, and used her influence over Orlando’s college opportunities to coerce her to provide sex-related material…
In her lawsuit, Orlando says she was made to feel uncomfortable “by the escalating level of sexual tension in her relationship with Klotz.” The suit alleges that Klotz used her academic authority over Orlando to get sexual gratification from her and to compel her to study sex-related topics. And it says Orlando suffered stress, anxiety and heart problems requiring hospitalization because of that pressure.
This includes, by the way, allegations in the suit that Klotz demanded Orlando fork over more and more pictures of herself in bondage, and once Orlando revealed she was sexually abused as a child, Klotz forcing her to study sexual abuse topics. Which, you know, would be unethical even if it weren’t utterly disturbing. When Orlando tried to switch professors, Klotz accused her of plagiarism.
Klotz, for obvious reasons, isn’t commenting on the case, but Portland State University is claiming that Orlando should have totally reported it to the school and then they would have taken care of it, honest. You know, because those policies have such a sterling record of solving these issues that the President of the United States didn’t just basically give the entire college system a spanking on issues like this.
Either way, Orlando’s finishing her degree, and Klotz is now in Arizona. Somehow, we suspect the full story isn’t out yet.