Cambridge professor Simon Goldhill has been hit by freshsexual harassment claimsfrom two more women, both academics, the latest twist in a growing scandal at the university. The allegations emerged this week, following reports earlier this month that an internal investigation upheld four counts of professional and sexual misconduct against the 69-year-old professor of Greek literature and culture at King's College.
Goldhill denies the new claims. The case has raised fresh questions about how Cambridge manages complaints against senior staff.
The initial complaint related to an incident in the senior common room at King's College during autumn 2024. According to the investigation report, Goldhill made unwelcome sexual advances, including a kiss he admitted was 'over exuberant' and 'no doubt slobbery,' along with touching the student's chest and putting his tongue in her ear. The student only came forward in March 2025, concerned about the effect on her future academic career.
The external inquiry, which took several months to complete, upheld the complaints and found that Goldhill had breached university policies on consent. He stepped back from lecturing and direct student contact in October 2025.
However, because colleges were not notified, he was able to carry on with some supervisions at King's until the story broke.The provost, Gillian Tett, only discovered the full extent of the findings through press coverage this month.
The two new claims involve incidents separated by two decades. An American academic said she was groped by Goldhill at the Society for Classical Studies meeting in Chicago in January 2024. 'It was crowdedand I was standing with a friend when Goldhill and his group were trying to get by us – and as he did so he pressed himself against me from behind and grabbed my ass,' she said.
The matter was passed informally to the society's ethics committee, but no formal complaint was pursued. Goldhill insists the incident did not happen and that the committee cleared him of any wrongdoing.
A second woman, who studied classics at Cambridge in the early 2000s, alleged unwanted physical contact over several years. She said reading about the recent student case brought back feelings of shame, panic and isolation and left her angry at colleagues who had excused similar behaviour. Goldhill has responded that he denies any wrongdoing at the university.
The University of Cambridge has said it takes all complaints of sexual misconduct very seriously, though it will not comment on individual cases because of confidentiality. Critics point to the fact that the investigation was not shared with college directors of studies, meaning Goldhill continued teaching undergraduates for months.
"Breaking the Silence" on sexual harassment at Cambridge UniversityThis is the University where even the Provost of King’s College learns about cases like Simon Goldhill from the national newspapersTransparency ... but make it outsourcedpic.twitter.com/ZySMqtDJWs
Source: International Business Times UK
