Multiple research scholars have accused two private wildlife conservation organisations in India and the US of disregarding for three years their complaints of sexual harassment and verbal abuse by an India programme director credited with “monumental contributions to turtle conservation”.

They have said the inaction by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-India on their complaints against Shailendra Singh, WCS-India employee and the director of the US-based Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) India programme, had allowed “a culture of abuse and harassment… to thrive”.

The institutional inaction, conservation scientists familiar with the developments say, reflects two broader issues — the plight of victims of sexual or other forms of harassment who fear perpetrators in positions of authority could obstruct their career advancement, and institutions placing greater trust in those supervising younger scholars.

The Alliance, a global conservation organisation focused on tortoises and turtles, said on March 19 that it had noted the sexual harassment allegations against Singh, several days after some complainants had posted their experiences on Instagram.

“We take this very seriously. We understand that there is a current investigation in India, compliant with Indian laws, and we await the results and will be prepared to take appropriate action,” Heather Barrett, the TSA’s chair of the equity, diversion and inclusion committee said in a statement.

WCS-India also released a statement on its website on March 20 saying it is “deeply concerned” about the instances of misconduct reported on social media.

“We stand in solidarity with all the women who have shared their traumatic experiences of sexual harassment. We at WCS-India have zero tolerance towards all forms of harassment and believe in providing a safe working environment for all staff, it said, adding that it is “looking into all avenues of action”. Singh did not respond to an email from this newspaper seeking his response to the complaints.

The complainants include three scholars who are now pursuing PhD programmes in US universities and who have expressed disappointment that WCS-India and the TSA had not acted despite the complaints brought to their notice in May 2020. “The culture of abuse and harassment has been allowed to thrive despite the leadership in TSA-USA, WCS-International as well as WCS-India having knowledge of these instances,” one scholar said in an email to WCS-India director Vidya Athreya on Tuesday.

The complainants and sections of other scientists have said they are surprised by the March19 TSA statement that said the Alliance “does not operate in India”, but it has been proud to support important turtle conservation work in the country.

While TSA-India operates under WCS-India, scientists say TSA-India has received support such as grants and funds from the TSA and described itself as a “standalone programme” of the TSA, working with the Indian state forest departments.

The scholar wrote in her mail to WCS-India: “Our understanding is that TSA conducts research and conservation as a project in India, provides resources to Shailendra Singh, takes credit only when it benefits them, but leaves WCS-India with the operational accountability for people like Shailendra Singh who mistreat and harass Indian researchers, criminally abusing their bodily autonomy and preventing them from doing independent research.”

Athreya, who took over as the WCS-India director in June2021, said she could not discuss the matter because of confidentiality issues. “All I can say at this point is that we will not take charges of any harassment lightly,” she said via email.