A prominent New York University professor who is being sued by a former student who accuses her of sexual harassment said that her relationship with him was not sexual and that affectionate emails they exchanged were just "gay-coded" correspondence. Professor Avita Ronell, a world-renowned professor of German and comparative literature, released a statement on Friday in response to a lawsuit filed against her this week by the former student and advisee, Nimrod Reitman. In the lawsuit, Reitman said he was subjected to unwanted kissing and groping, and he said he received many messages that made him uncomfortable. Ronell said their emails were usually related to their working relationship, though they often contained "literary allusions" and "poetic runs." Ronell said she uses the same type of flowery language in her emails with many others.

Source: Fox News August 17, 2018 22:07 UTC