Ex-prof ordered to delete reports

A former professor of Peking University, who made accusations on the Internet that deans and professors sexually harassed and sexually assaulted waitresses at a campus restaurant, was ordered to delete all the posts and apologize on Wednesday.

Zou Hengfu, once a professor of economics at Peking University, said on his micro blog on Aug 21, 2012, that some of the university's deans and department heads often sexually assaulted waitresses while dining at the restaurant.

He also claimed that was why the business of the restaurant was booming, and he contended that there were too many immoral people at the university.

Zou's remarks drew wide attention, and the information was forwarded on micro blogs thousands of time within a short time. Many netizens said they believed what Zou said was true.

Jiang Langlang, a spokesman for Peking University, denied all of Zou's allegations on the night Zou posted the information, saying that Zou had been dismissed from the university because he failed to give lessons as required over a long period.

However, Zou posted another 120-plus pieces of information on his micro blog in the following days, saying that the corruption and misbehavior involved professors and officials at the university, making it a hot topic online, according to a China Central Television report at the time.

In January, Peking University and the on-campus restaurant, Mengtaoyuan, sued Zou for libel and defamation, but the accuser and the defendant couldn't reach an agreement on a settlement.

On Wednesday, Haidian district court in Beijing issued the verdict on its micro blog, in which Zou was required to delete 12 of his micro-blog posts involved in the case.

He was also ordered to post apologies to the university and the restaurant on his micro blog for seven days, to undo the damage he had done and rehabilitate the reputation of the university and the restaurant.

The court said that Zou couldn't provide reliable evidence regarding his accusations against university officials and professors, and that his untrue descriptions on his micro blog have undermined the reputation of Peking University and Mengtaoyuan Restaurant.

Zou said on his micro blog that he was disappointed with the verdict and will file an appeal.

"The problems in education are obvious to all, and everyone has his own perception of right and wrong," he said.

Wu Dong, a partner of Shanghai's Huiye Law Firm, said he thinks the court's decision is reasonable.

"In such a time, when more and more people express their views and perspectives online, people, especially those with wide, strong influence, should make sure that what they say is based on fact, not rumor," Wu said.

"And they should collect enough evidence from multiple sources to support themselves before making an assertion."

Zheng Jinran contributed to this story.

zhaoxinying@chinadaily.com.cn