I did see a reference to Title IX made - it is important to note that Title IX requires certain obligations to all employees of an American university
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https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/qa-201404-ti... (Pages 12 & 13 most notably)
D. Responsible Employees and Reporting22
D-1. Which school employees are obligated to report incidents of possible sexual violence to
school officials?
Answer: Under Title IX, whether an individual is obligated to report incidents of alleged
sexual violence generally depends on whether the individual is a responsible employee of
the school. A responsible employee must report incidents of sexual violence to the Title IX
coordinator or other appropriate school designee, subject to the exemption for school
counseling employees discussed in question E-3. This is because, as discussed in question
A-4, a school is obligated to address sexual violence about which a responsible employee
knew or should have known. As explained in question C-3, the Title IX coordinator must be
informed of all reports and complaints raising Title IX issues, even if the report or
22 This document addresses only Title IX’s reporting requirements. It does not address requirements under the
Clery Act or other federal, state, or local laws, or an individual school’s code of conduct.
Page 15 – Questions and Answers on Title IX and Sexual Violence
complaint was initially filed with another individual or office, subject to the exemption for
school counseling employees discussed in question E-3.
D-2. Who is a “responsible employee”?
Answer: According to OCR’s 2001 Guidance, a responsible employee includes any
employee: who has the authority to take action to redress sexual violence; who has been
given the duty of reporting incidents of sexual violence or any other misconduct by
students to the Title IX coordinator or other appropriate school designee; or whom a
student could reasonably believe has this authority or duty.
23
A school must make clear to all of its employees and students which staff members are
responsible employees so that students can make informed decisions about whether to
disclose information to those employees. A school must also inform all employees of their
own reporting responsibilities and the importance of informing complainants of: the
reporting obligations of responsible employees; complainants’ option to request
confidentiality and available confidential advocacy, counseling, or other support services;
and complainants’ right to file a Title IX complaint with the school and to report a crime to
campus or local law enforcement.
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I don't know the people involved in this story, and have no stake/stance on the claim itself (I'm not involved in infosec). However, given similar stories when Title IX issues arise in athletics where coaches/athletic directors/etc. try to avoid taking responsibility for reporting sexual harassment/assault allegations that have been vocalized and/or do not inform complainants of their full options, it sounds very likely that the professors did not take proper action if Title IX applies because the onus is on an employee to take action when the employee gets wind of an allegation. Probably the biggest case in the sports world that exemplifies this is the Sandusky rapes and Penn State, where allegations were not reported up the chain.
I'm not sure what the jurisdiction is here, and whether it was something under US jurisdiction (I saw some talk about UIC, short for Univ. of Illinois-Chicago, but also a Dutch university as well). I just thought to add some context around this type of issue that many here may not be aware of - Title IX is considered extremely serious with regards to the US education system.