Although the courtroom setting was casual, the charges remained serious.

During the first day of adminstrative hearings Tuesday, an Iowa State student and an alum testified they were sexually harassed by Professor Michael Simonson. The hearing was held in the Founders Suite of the Ames Public Library with Administrative Law Judge Donald W. Bohlken presiding.

Simonson, professor of curriculum and instruction, faces allegations of violating university policy, creating a hostile environment, offensive conduct and sexual harrassment of a graduate student, said Stephen Terrill, Simonson’s attorney. He also faces allegations from two other ISU students.

In her opening statement, university attorney CeCe Wagner said Simonson repeatedly grabbed and fondled his genitalia in front of one of the alleged victims, exposed himself to another alleged victim while in a hot tub, showed up without an invitation to another one of his student’s homes and made unwanted sexual advances.

“There is no place for Michael Simonson on the Iowa State campus,” Wagner said.

In rebuttal, Terrill said Simonson is a “dedicated and respected” individual. Terrill said he is planning to call 18 witnesses to testify on Simonson’s behalf.

Terrill said he will produce medical records during the weeklong hearings to show there are obvious contradictions in each of the women’s depositions. He said the records will show that Simonson could not have committed the sexual acts.

Terrill also said members of Simonson’s family were present during some of these alleged incidents.

The most potentially damaging testimony came from Melinda Gallagher, graduate student in curriculum and instruction, who testified she was sexually assualted by Simonson.

Gallagher said she and Simonson, along with two other people, went to Wallaby’s, 3720 Lincoln Way, for an education department Friday night outing. She said Simonson later made a suggestion to the group that he wanted to go to Tradewinds Lounge, 115 5th St.

After the group went to the lounge, Gallagher said Simonson invited everyone to go to a strip club located next door. She said when they arrived at the door, they got in free because they were “friends” of Simonson.

Gallagher testified to staying at the strip club for only about 10 minutes because she and the other two people present felt very uncomfortable.

The whole group then proceeded to Simonson’s house because he had invited them to use his hot tub, Gallagher said. She said Simonson removed his swim trunks while in the tub and put his hand down Gallagher’s boxer shorts, which she had borrowed from him.

Gallagher said she immediately left Simonson’s house.

“I was crying; I was very upset,” Gallagher said.

After making her formal complaint to the university, Gallagher said Simonson followed her around campus. She also testified Simonson had made her feel uncomfortable by calling her “sweetie” and putting his arm around her before the hot tub incident.

Gallagher said she was ostracized from her husband and family, and had to take incompletes in all her classes because of emotional stress.

“We knew how powerful he was in our department, and we didn’t know what he would do as far as our grades were concerned,” Gallagher said.

Beth Kumbar, a former ISU graduate student who was a part-time research assistant for Simonson, also testified Tuesday.

She said Simonson allegedly grabbed her knee at a bar during another Friday night department outing. She said she shifted away from Simonson while he grabbed her knee, and was very uncomfortable with the situation.

Kumbar filed a formal complaint against Simonson in April 1996.

“It was something I thought about for a long time, and I decided I could do it,” Kumbar said.

Kumbar also had other problems with Simonson.

She claimed Simonson looked her up and down at the conclusion of a meeting discussing educational programs and said to her, “I like what I see.”

Kumbar said she took those statements to mean “he liked my appearance.” She said these remarks made her “very, very uncomfortable.” However, Kumbar said she did not say or do anything at the time.

During a party, Kumbar also testified that Simonson told her about dressing up in women’s clothing.

The crucial incident, Kumbar said, occurred when Simonson showed up at her house on New Year’s Eve 1996.

Kumbar said he called her at 5 p.m. wanting “to say goodbye,” since he knew she would be leaving ISU soon to start her new job.

Kumbar said she told Simonson that a meeting would not be convenient, but he allegedly showed up at her door about four hours later.

According to Kumbar, Simonson came with two bottles of wine and was already intoxicated. Kumbar said she and Simonson had a couple glasses of wine.

“He said of all the graduate students, he was most interested in me,” Kumbar said.

She added that Simonson continued to make offensive comments, including that he wanted her and his girlfriend, Kristen Wright, also a former ISU student, to join him in group sex.

“He said he liked kinky sex, and he really wanted to have sex with a man,” Kumbar said.

Kumbar said Wright, also a friend of hers, told her Simonson liked to pick up young men and watch them have sex with another girlfriend of his.

During cross-examination, Terrill emphasized that Kumbar had only once told Simonson to leave her alone after consulting the police on what to do about the situation.

Kumbar said the reason she never came forward was she felt her job and future career would be jeopardized.

Simonson’s hearing will continue through out the week.