Three more schools blacklist company
Director has been subject of multiple complaints from former and prospective NUS interns
At least three other schools have blacklisted a tech company, blocking it from internship programmes with their students, even as its director yesterday denied allegations of inappropriate conduct.
The New Paper reported yesterday that the National University of Singapore (NUS) had blacklisted the company and removed it from its internship and job portals after complaints from four female students.
Lasalle College of the Arts and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) said they have removed the company from their portals, while Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) has flagged the company and will not be approving internships with it.
Singapore Management University (SMU) said it is reviewing the company.
NUS made a police report against the company in April following allegations of "inappropriate conduct" by its director during a self-sourced internship interview.
TNP understands that the interview took place in March via a one-way Skype video call, during which the director could see the student, but she could not see him.
It is understood that the director, who is married, had offered her twice the usual internship allowance if she accompanied him on a business trip without informing the school.
NUS also informed the police about a message circulating among the student body that contained "unverified allegations" of a sexual nature against the director.
COMPLAINTS
NUS also received complaints about unfair work practices at the company from three female students from 2016 to 2017. They subsequently terminated their internships.
When TNP went to the director's house yesterday, he denied the allegations and said he was shocked. He declined to comment further.
TNP understands that he had not been contacted by the schools with regards to the allegations, and that he intends to confront them.
Spokesmen for the schools said they have several safeguards and feedback channels in place to protect their students.
The spokesmen for NTU and SMU said they each had only one student intern at the company, and there had been no complaints.
An SUTD spokesman said it has not worked with the company before.
A Lasalle spokesman said the company was removed from its portal yesterday.
"We will take measures to block any organisation that we receive legitimate complaints about," she said.
"Our lecturers are also equipped to support any student who faces problems in their place of internship."
The spokesman added that students who go on internships are briefed, and the internship companies are selected based on Lasalle's "long-term relationship with them and their known professionalism in the industry".
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHERLYN SIM
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