C.W. Park USC Lawsuit
USC is dealing with a lawsuit involving tenured professor Choong Whan Park.The Marshall School of Business is in the
USC is dealing with a lawsuit involving tenured professor Choong Whan Park.
The Marshall School of Business is in the spotlight because of this. Professor C.W. Park, known for his work in marketing and at the Global Branding Center, is accused of sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination.
The lawsuit claims that USC knew about Park’s actions but did nothing. The university filed a response, denying allegations and saying the accusations are discriminatory and have retaliatory motives.
A USC spokeswoman said they can’t discuss confidential personnel matters. A Marshall spokesperson said this is an ongoing legal matter. Park’s lawyers responded to the lawsuit.
They say the accusations are false. Annenberg Media tried to get comments but got no response.
Yi Youn Kim, a Korean American student assistant, was involved in the case. Kim shared contact information without permission.
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The university’s Office of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX did an internal investigation.
They looked into the claims that Park sexually assaulted and harassed young female students of Korean descent.
Victim 1, Victim 2, and Victim 3 said Park made nonconsensual sexual advances like non-consensual touching, hugging, kissing, groping, and making sexual comments.
Park’s retirement in spring 2021 is noted on the USC website. But his faculty profile and classes for Branding Strategy and Global Marketing are still there.
A discrimination complaint was filed with California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
They issued a Right to Sue. This civil action brought attention to leadership decisions by then-Marshall Dean James Ellis about harassment and discrimination complaints.
The case shows problems in the business school’s culture. Carol Wise, an Associate Professor of International Relations, said bad behavior and sex abuse are common in the business school.
The case is compared to the George Tyndall case, showing a need for cultural change at USC.
The lawsuit will continue, and the judge’s decisions will be important. USC will need to address these issues and make changes to prevent future incidents.
