World-famous Professor of Greek at Cambridge gave feminine pupil undesirable ‘slobbery kiss’ and put tongue in her ear

A world-famous professor of Greek at Cambridge University who gave a female student an unwanted ‘slobbery kiss’ and put his tongue in her ear is facing dismissal.

Simon Goldhill, who has appeared on television and radio in his decades long career at Cambridge, has ‘stepped away’ from teaching after complaints about his professional and sexual misconduct were upheld.

The 69-year-old kissed the woman in the senior common room of the university’s King’s College in a ‘over exuberant’ and ‘no doubt slobbery’ way in Autumn 2024. 

The woman in her twenties managed to push him away and made clear she did not want to kiss him and that he had made her feel ‘scared and panicky’. 

Following the inappropriate encounter Goldhill, who had been drinking at the time of the incident, sent the woman ‘not entirely lucid’ messages apologising for his behaviour.    

The professor has admitted kissing the student and the investigation also found that he had also stroked the woman’s body, touched the zip on her trousers and put his tongue in her ear.

It was noted that the touching of the ear ‘could have been unintentional’. 

The report said: ‘At no time in his evidence did he provide any direct evidence that he had asked for and received consent. His stated belief was that he did not need it for a goodbye kiss or “friendly snuggle”.’ 

Professor of Greek Simon Goldhill (pictured), who has appeared on television and radio in his decades long career at Cambridge, has ‘stepped away’ from teaching after complaints about his professional and sexual misconduct were upheld

Cambridge’s King’s College where the 69-year-old professor kissed the female student in the senior common room of the college in a ‘over exuberant’ and ‘no doubt slobbery’ way in Autumn 2024

Goldhill also offered as ‘mitigation his drunken state’ on the evening but the report, seen by The Times, added that he recognised that this ‘does not reduce the responsibility he has for his own actions … Alcohol may well have contributed to what happened but cannot excuse it’.  

Now, the prestigious university is reportedly considering if disciplinary action will be taken against the professor who is scheduled to retire at the end of the academic year. 

His behaviour did not come to light until March 2025 when the woman complained. She delayed her complaint out of fear for what it could mean for her studies and future career prospects with one academic describing Goldhill as ‘an exceptionally big fish’.

Goldhill is one of the most famous academic in his field whose works have been translated into multiple languages and include studies of sexuality in Ancient Greece.  

An external consultancy were brought in to investigate the case with its findings reported in February. 

It found that Goldhill had broke several university policies including the code of behaviour for ‘sexual misconduct by making unwelcome and unpermitted sexual advances in the form of an embrace, touching and kisses without reasonably believing that [the student] had consented to this behaviour’.

He continued with teaching for a number of months after the investigation started before he stepped down in October 2025.

Although he is due to retire this September, he could still be in line to receive the honorary position of emeritus professor.

And the student was told that while Goldhill was on ‘amended duties’ – a term for temporary changes to an employee’s job responsibilities – she wasn’t entitled to know any further details of the disciplinary process.    

In words reported by The Times, the student said that that university’s ‘poor response’ had ‘significantly disrupted’ her studies and in turn her finances.

She said: ‘Receiving the complaint outcome letter from the university, which essentially said ‘your complaint has been upheld, we will not tell you any consequences we may hand out, goodbye’.

‘It felt like a punch in the gut after a harrowing, year-long process. It makes me feel like the university does not take the safety of their students, especially women, seriously’.

A Cambridge University spokesperson told the Mail: ‘The University of Cambridge takes all complaints of sexual misconduct very seriously and any concerns raised by staff or students would be looked into in line with the relevant University policies and procedures, and action would be taken, where appropriate. 

‘These processes are by their nature confidential so we will not be commenting further.’