Reprimands are not enough: students of KNU named after Shevchenko demands the dismissal of the teacher due to sexism – News

Nikita Vasylenko

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Students of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv demand the dismissal of teacher Mykyta Vasylenko, who is accused of promoting sexist and pro-Russian narratives. He was reprimanded at the university.

In his lectures, he said that “women can achieve something in only four ways: husband, lover, father, brother.”

He was reprimanded at the university, but the students demand more decisive action against the teacher, said Oksana Parashchak, a fourth-year student of the university and a military journalist.

In the comment “UP. Life” she told: in order to confirm to the university administration that sexism on the part of Mykyta Vasylenko is not fiction, the students conducted a special survey in a Google form.

Also, in the summer of 2023, students turned to the now ex-director of the institute, Volodymyr Rizun, with a letter in which they complained about the “open pro-Russian and sexist position” of Mykyta Vasylenko.

“Vasylenko abuses sexist comments towards female students. Also, during the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine, he tells students about “the greatness of Russia”, says the letter, which was signed by more than 170 students of NNZH.

However, this appeal did not yield any result.

After that, Oksana Parashchak turned to the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, on behalf of the students.

“Teacher Vasylenko Mykyta Kimovych convinces students in class instead of teaching (quotes):

• “women can achieve something in four ways: husband, lover, father, brother”;

• “I am against everyone having rights, especially women.”

In a personal conversation with one of the students (who decided not to disclose her name), M. K. Vasylenko “offered to become a muse, and if she refused, she would not have a career“, says the text of the appeal, a copy of which Oksana Parashchak provided “UP. Life”.

In January 2024, the ombudsman replied to the students that the standing committee of the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University Academic Council on Ethics had created a working group to work out the sexism issues raised in the appeal.

Nikita Vasylenko and the head of the department where he works were reprimanded.

However, students continue to demand the release of Mykyt Vasylenko.

Oksana Parashchak says: having succeeded in issuing a reprimand, the Commissioner’s Office only ticked the box, as if the case was closed. But in reality, the teacher has returned to his duties and continues to promote the same narratives.

“He says that a woman cannot be a media person, a soldier, she should stay at home, smile and entertain her children and husband. Just yesterday, students were telling me that he said the same thing again in pairs in the first yearshe says.

The student parliament of the National Academy of Sciences and Arts noted that they had repeatedly received complaints from students regarding the behavior of teacher Mykyta Vasylenko, and in December 2023, their representatives participated in a meeting of the Ethics Commission, which considered his suspension from teaching.

“We categorically condemn the position and statements of Mykyta Vasylenko and consider his work as a teacher at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Journalism unacceptable.

For our part, we promise to do everything possible so that justice prevails“, the student parliament assures.

“UP. Life” turned to KNU for comment. Shevchenko, however, at the time of publication, no response had been received.

We will remind you that the Ternopil National Pedagogical University named after Volodymyr Hnatyuk suspended the course, the teacher of which got into a scandal because of sexist statements.

In his lectures, he stated that girls allegedly provoke rape themselves, consent to sex is understood differently by both sexes, and violence in the eyes of a man is “a continuation of courtship.”