Five female students are suing Howard University for failing to appropriately respond to their reports of sexual assault and harassment by a school employee. The employee supervised the women while they worked at the university library. The women allege that the employee sexually assaulted them, including “unwanted touching, flirting, fondling and degrading propositions of a sexual nature.”

George Bright-Abu, who supervised the students in their work-study program, is now in jail and convicted of sexually assaulting two students.

From WJLA:

“Everybody said this was typical of him,” said Mercedes Woodson, one of two women who say they were assaulted by the man.

The lawsuit charges that the victims reported Bright-Abu’s sexually abusive and offensive comments to university officials, but the university failed to respond in a way that would protect the students and stop the behavior.

“He touched my breasts,” claims Rukayat Bello.

“When I saw her (upset) I said ‘it’s time to do something,’” Woodson said.

The women say their complaints to supervisors were ignored. They eventually filed a police report.

“Howard University created a hostile and abusive working environment for all plaintiffs by continuing to employ Bright-Abu after being made aware of his ongoing physical and verbal sexual assault,” said Christal Edwards, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit.

“When the University administration became aware of the allegations, we reported the case to the Metropolitan Police Department. The individual was subsequently charged and terminated from the university. We take the safety of our students very seriously,” the university said in a statement to Fox5.

Three other students have come forward saying they were also sexually harassed by Bright-Abu, and the university failed to respond to their complaints.