A leading Australian medical research institute says it will commission an urgent review into its workplace culture after being sued alongside one of its senior researchers by a former employee for alleged sexual harassment.

It comes amid claims that the Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology failed to properly act on complaints of inappropriate behaviour raised against senior staff members, including its deputy director, Professor Chris Semsarian.

The Federal Court lawsuit has been brought by genetic counsellor Jennifer de Jongh, 27, who accuses Professor Semsarian of repeated inappropriate behaviour while she was a graduate at the institute, working directly under the cardiologist.

This allegedly included sending thousands of text messages over the six months of her employment, as well as repeated unwanted hugging, touching her on the buttocks, frequently asking to drive her home and visiting her apartment unannounced.

Professor Semsarian, 29 years Ms de Jongh’s senior, is an internationally recognised expert in cardio-genetics with positions at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of Sydney as well as head of the institute’s Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology.

He has denied the claims of sexual harassment and said he would be “vigorously defending” them in a legal defence to be filed shortly.

Independent review

Also named in the lawsuit is NSW Health and the Centenary Institute, which is affiliated with the University of Sydney and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and has a research focus on human health issues including cancer, cardiovascular disease, genetic diseases, immunology, infectious diseases and liver disease.

On Wednesday 3 April, after the story made its way into the Sydney Morning Herald (link here), the institute announced it would suspend Professor Semsarian from all roles at the organisation pending the results of an independent review into its workplace culture.

“The institute is deeply concerned about recent allegations and apologises for any distress they have caused,” executive director Professor Marc Pellegrini said in a statement provided to the limbic.

“The Institute is committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for all its staff, students and visiting researchers.”

“Today, the Centenary Institute also announced it will commission an independent review into its workplace culture without delay. The Centenary Institute will communicate its response to the review.”

“Professor Chris Semsarian has been suspended from the Centenary Institute while these matters are being dealt with.”

But questions have been raised about why it took the institute so long to act, given Ms de Jongh said she took her complaint to management almost a year ago.

“The investigation is welcome, but it does carry a mark of deep disrespect towards women at the institute who, for some years now, have complained to management about the harassment and inappropriate behaviour of senior professors,” her lawyer Hayden Stephens told the SMH

“Jen took the courageous step to inform Centenary about these serious allegations against Professor Semsarian near on a year ago. It’s a sad indictment on an organisation when it responds, but only after media attention exposes their inaction.”