A Chinese student is facing expulsion from university for having casual sex with a Ukrainian gamer.
The student, surnamed Li, has been accused of “hurting national dignity”, sparking online accusations of excessive punishment and rights infringement.
An official from Dalian Polytechnic University, in northeastern China’s Liaoning province, on July 8, said the institution planned to expel Li for an act of “misconduct” on December 16, 2024.
The 21-year-old was reported to have had a one-night stand with 37-year-old former Counter-Strike player Danylo Teslenko, who is “Zeus”, while he was attending an event in Shanghai last December.
Teslenko posted intimate videos and photos of himself and Li in his fan group, and reportedly called her an “easy girl”.
The footage was leaked by his Chinese fans, and Li’s information, including her real name, family background, and social media accounts, was doxxed.
Some men reportedly harassed the university to punish Li.
But many people said it was the reaction of the university that they found shocking.
Not only did the university divulge Li’s full name, it also cited disciplinary regulations stating that Li’s behaviour saw her “socialise with foreigners improperly and undermine national dignity and the school’s reputation”.
Many protested against the school over its excessive punishment and the infringement of Li’s privacy.
“Her private life is none of the school’s business,” one online observer said.
It was widely reported that Teslenko was married with a child and that Li had a boyfriend at the time of the fling.
However, Teslenko said he was neither married nor in a relationship when he was intimate with Li.
He also expressed regret for posting the videos and denied the accusations that he had ever called Chinese girls “easy”.
A UK gaming news website reported that what Teslenko had said in Russian while hugging Li in the video may have been misconstrued as meaning he thought Chinese girls were “easy”.
The school’s statement said that Li could appeal the decision by September 7. Li has yet to respond to the school’s decision.
Jin Lin, a lawyer from Beijing’s Xidong Law Firm, told the mainland media outlet Fengmian News that the school’s decision does not have legal grounds.
According to the Provisions on the Administration of Students in Regular Institutions of Higher Education, students can only be expelled in eight circumstances, none of which match Li’s situation.
More than one lawyer advised Li to seek legal help and sue the school.
The case also triggered accusations of bias against female students.
In similar and even more serious cases involving male students, full names were rarely revealed, and some perpetrators received minor punishments.
One online observer said: “We still do not know Uncle Red’s full name, but the school cannot wait to publish a female student’s name for living her own life.”
Uncle Red is a 38-year-old cross-dresser from eastern China’s Jiangsu province who went viral worldwide for tricking hundreds of men into having sex with him and filming them.
“She is the biggest victim in this case. The Ukrainian man posted her face without her consent. The men witch-hunted her. Her school further hurt her by expelling her and publishing her name. They all owe her an apology,” said another.
The university had not responded to the public comments by the time of writing. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
