Sacked NUS Lecturer Had Openly Discussed Relationship Between Teachers & Students

When it comes to perpetrators of sexual assault, there are very rarely warning signs that the individual would commit such misdeeds.

These deviants usually manage to keep that part of their lives hidden away from the public, which is why those close to them are often surprised when they are caught.

But then there are some who very openly discuss the very kind of sexual misconduct they engage in, even with the group of people they’re targeting.

Sacked NUS Lecturer Wrote About “Insemination” in Teaching

Last Sunday (18 Oct), NUS announced it had sacked one of its lecturers at Tembusu College after receiving complaints of sexual misconduct.

The man, Dr Jeremy Fernando, had “behaved inappropriately” with two students, who reported him to the university.

Now, it’s been revealed that Fernando had openly discussed such relations with his students, and even in a book he wrote.

According to The Straits Times, the former lecturer wrote in his 2017 book Why Hasn’t JB Already Disappeared that “insemination” can be a part of teaching and could open up students and teachers to possibilities.

And yes, there’s only one definition of insemination, so no matter how you look at it, it’s weird.

He repeated this sentiment in a paper titled Teach Me Tonight, where he wrote: “Teaching involves dissemination, spreading, growing, germination, trimming, cutting, pruning – quite possibly, insemination.”

Uh, that last one doesn’t really belong to that group.

While he said that teaching doesn’t always involve sex, students will only have the ability to make this choice if they are open to the possibility.

This, of course, makes about as much sense as buying a car seat for your baby and asking it to drive you to work.

But that’s not all he did, though.

Openly Discussed Paedophilia and Student-teacher Relations

According to one former student who spoke to ST, there were a few warning signs before the sexual misconduct occurred.

For instance, Fernando used to enjoy discussing moral issues such as paedophilia and student-teacher relations, which is revolting considering he forced himself on two students.

The student added that he was disgusted by the allegations, because Fernando claimed to be someone who supported gender rights.

Another student said many students in the college, especially the seniors, feel betrayed.

“It feels like the college and especially the seniors are going through a collective trauma of feeling betrayed. His very persona seemed to go against all notions of toxic masculinity… To find out that he wasn’t who he claimed to be all this while was distressing.”

What Happened

For those of you who don’t know, here’s what Fernando was accused of.

The first victim said that Fernando had been making non-consensual sexual advances towards her since Oct 2019, and only stopped at the start of the circuit breaker.

Throughout these months, his advances towards her became increasingly intense and frequent.

She claimed that the lecturer kissed and groped her without consent, and even performed oral sex while she was drunk.

Fernando also allegedly sent many gifts to the victim’s house even though she asked him to stop.

“He pressured me into various sexual acts and discouraged me from telling my friends,” the victim said.

The second victim said Fernando first approached her during online classes and privately messaged her on Zoom.

A week later, they met another male student for drinks at a restaurant, and went back to her apartment.

While they were there, Fernando allegedly tried touching her and kissed her when the male student was in the bathroom.

When she pulled away from him, he told her not to tell anyone, because he would lose his job if word got out.

NUS Student Group Demands More Transparency 

Even though Fernando was dismissed, many students weren’t happy with the way NUS has managed the case.

A student group, called Students for a Safer NUS, released a statement calling for more accountability and transparency on the part of the university.

For one, they said the university released their first statement on the matter two weeks after Dr Fernando’s dismissal, but with “sparse” information.

They also noted that NUS’ statement was only released after some individuals had written about the incident on social media.

So it’s not just the allegations that have upset students, but the way NUS has handled it as well.

The two victims have not lodged a police report, however, so Fernando will walk free for now.