First of Woodfield cases may be tried in April

If everything goes according to schedule, former University student Lisa Topol will be in federal court in April. Topol, who has accused former Assistant English Professor Malcolm Woodfield of sexual harassment, filed suit against the University, claiming that the University violated her rights by failing to resolve her complaint over an extended period of time. Woodfield has admitted that he engaged in sexual relations with Topol and that this was unethical under the University's policies. He resigned last April amidst hearings investigating the matter. Topol's suit charges that "administrators failed to investigate her complaints, or otherwise take any action to determine whether or not there existed grounds to suspend or terminate Woodfield." It asks that Topol be compensated "for wages and fringe benefits" that she has lost due to her relationship with Woodfield and for wages that she is likely to lose." It also demands that the University pay Topol for "anguish and humiliation, physical and mental pain and suffering, and loss of life's pleasures." According to University attorneys, this case is currently "in discovery" -- which is a process before a trial when the parties exchange information. Alice Ballard, Topol's lawyer, said the case is still in discovery because the University has not finished Topol's deposition, and she is still waiting for the University to produce some of the witnesses she has asked to examine. Ballard added, though, that the discovery period should be concluded within the next few weeks. She said the parties are filing pre-trial statements on February 6 -- at which point each side will lay out their witnesses and all of the evidence that will be used. She added that she expects a trial in April. But Green was less confident about the trial date, projecting that it will occur later than Ballard said. "It will be in the trial pool sometime in April, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be tried then," she said. "It can be tried anytime after [April]." Topol also filed a suit against Bates College in Maine -- where Woodfield taught for two years before arriving at the University -- for allegedly withholding information of other sexual harassment accusations against Woodfield. Bates College failed to inform the University of the complaints and the subsequent proceedings and also failed to update the positive references it had previously offered, the suit charges. Ballard said the case is in litigation, but that there are a number of outstanding motions holding it up. She added that the judge has to make some crucial decisions in this case before it can proceed. "These motions go directly to the heart of whether we can even sue Bates in Philadelphia," she said. Ballard said the timing on this trial is much harder to predict, because there are more uncertain points to clear up. "It could go to trial on roughly the same schedule [as the case against the University], but given its status it is quite indeterminant when anything will happen," she said. Topol is also suing Woodfield in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. But according to Ballard, "nothing is going on" with this case. "That is sitting because we are concentrating our efforts on Penn and Bates," she said. She added that the case against Woodfield "will go off-hold when these other two cases are done."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.