By Associated Press - Tuesday, November 20, 2018

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The University of Missouri-Kansas City has suspended a School of Pharmacy professor with pay over allegations that he exploited foreign graduate students.

The suspension of Ashim Mitra followed a report in the Kansas City Star on Sunday revealing allegations that he coerced students to perform personal favors, including watching his dog and acting as waiters and busboys. Mitra has denied any wrongdoing.

The Star report said Mitra, an Indian immigrant, made the demands exclusively of Ph.D. candidates from India who were in the U.S. on student visas.



UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal says the message of the suspension is that students “are our most important asset.”

The university has been investigating Mitra separately. Agrawal says the Star’s reporting added to the evidence the university gathered on its own.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com

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