Former ESHPM Pro-Dean also leaves as a professor following external harassment investigation

The former Dean of the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (ESHPM), Hans Severens, will leave Erasmus University completely as of 1 August. A spokesperson for the Executive Board stated that the university and Severens decided on this course of action ‘by mutual consent’, following an investigation carried out by an external agency after two persons had filed complaints about Severens with the Commission on Sexual Harassment, Aggression and Violence.

Earlier posts about this case

• Dean ESHPM steps down after complaints about improper behaviour
• Hans Smits: “#Metoo, shouldn’t there be an external committee for that?”
• President of the Executive Board clamps down on racism and #MeToo

In March 2020 it was announced that Severens was stepping down from his position as ESHPM’s Pro-Dean, after two persons had submitted complaints about him with EUR’s Commission on Sexual Harassment, Aggression and Violence. After having been notified of the complaints and carrying out an investigation of its own, the university decided to have the matter looked into by an external agency.

During the course of that external investigation Severens was allowed to stay on as a full professor, although he no longer taught lectures, nor served on any committees. Severens emphasised at the time that it was his own decision to resign from his position as the Erasmus School of Health, Policy & Management’s chief executive. He had served as a Pro-Dean since 1 January 2018.

“Having learned the results of this investigation, the two parties have arrived at the conclusion that it is better to part ways,” a spokesperson said in a statement, “in the interests of all parties involved and in the interests of having this matter resolved properly.” The spokesperson said that the university and the former Pro-Dean had made the decision by mutual consent.

Severens himself told EM that he had nothing to add to the ‘press release we agreed on’.