Allegations of sexual harassment at Nature Research Centre: employee claims he was forced to be naked in a sauna

A researcher at Lithuania’s state-run Nature Research Centre has filed a complaint alleging that his supervisor, a respected doctor of science, sexually harassed him during a stay at the supervisor’s private residence, LRT.lt reports.

The employee, a first-year master’s student in the Biodiversity Studies programme at Vilnius University, claims the incident occurred in June after both men stayed overnight at the supervisor’s house following a regional scientific event. According to his account, the supervisor pressured him to consume alcohol despite his personal objections, engaged in inappropriate conversations, and later made unwanted sexual advances, including touching his genitals and commenting on their appearance.

“I did not consent to these actions,” the employee wrote in his complaint. He also stated he was forced to be naked in a sauna on the property and that his supervisor touched his leg and foot, made sexually suggestive remarks, and expressed attraction to him.

The complainant reported the incident to the centre’s director, Edita Sužiedėlienė, prompting an internal investigation. The centre has since restricted contact between the two men and implemented temporary protective measures. The employee also filed a complaint with the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office, which granted him the status of a reporter—a legal protection ensuring he cannot be dismissed and must be shielded from retaliation, though no pre-trial investigation has yet been launched.

The accused supervisor, also a doctor of science, denies any wrongdoing. He acknowledges being at the residence with the employee but insists no inappropriate actions took place.

Unnamed staff at the centre have unofficially speculated that the complaint may be an attempt to undermine the newly appointed director, Sužiedėlienė. The complainant, who requested anonymity to avoid negative publicity, provided LRT.lt with a detailed account but declined to disclose his name. The outlet has chosen not to publish the accused supervisor’s name, as no formal criminal investigation has begun and the allegations remain unproven.