The embattled dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, who was sued for sexual harassment, has resigned, the school announced Thursday.
"On March 10, 2016, UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks accepted the resignation of Sujit Choudhry as dean of the university’s School of Law, effective immediately," according to a statement released by the law school Thursday afternoon.
Choudhry was sued Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court after 41-year-old Tyann Sorrell, an Oakland mother of five, accused him of sexual harassment, failure to prevent harassment, retaliation, infliction of emotional distress, assault, battery and more.
The former executive assistant claimed that from September 2014 to March 2015, Choudhry rubbed her shoulders, kissed her cheeks and gave her bear hugs, court documents show.
The university placed Choudhry on a leave of absence on Wednesday.
Choudhry did not respond to a request for comment by NBC Bay Area.
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Chancellor Dirks and Provost Claude Steele are both quoted in the school's statement: "We are under no illusion that a resignation could or even should bring this matter and broader, related issues to a close.
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"It is clear, as we heard during our meeting with law school faculty this morning, that the initial decision not to remove the dean from his position is the subject of legitimate criticism. We can and must do better as a campus administration. We must move in the direction of stronger sanctions, and in doing this we want and need the broad input of the campus community."
According to the statement, Dirks and Steele plan to reach out to faculty leaders Friday "for their help in quickly putting all of these commitments into motion."
