Leela Samson, a Gandhi family loyalist, apologises for defaming Kalakshetra student as ‘mistress’ of a teacher who was accused of sexual harassment

The former director of Chennai-based ‘The Kalakshetra Foundation’, Leela Samson, has posted an apology after defaming a student of the esteemed institute more than 2 years ago.

Samson served at the ‘The Kalakshetra Foundation’ between 2005-2012. In December 2022, she stirred the hornet’s nest by accusing a student named Athena Sadiq of being the ‘mistress’ of a teacher (Hari Padman), who was facing allegations of sexual harassment.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (15th June), Leela Samson stated, “On December 23, 2022, I put a post on Athena, former student and presently Tutor at the Kalakshetra Foundation, on Facebook. I had wrongly mentioned her name in connection with a male faculty. I regret the error and no further comments will be made by me on her in the future.“

Reaction of the victim

Athena Sadiq (who was defamed in 2022 by the ex-Director of The Kalakshetra Foundation) responded to Samson’s post, highlighting the need for her to be cautious of the words uttered in the public domain.

“You left Kalakshetra in 2012 and have had no further connection with the college. Yet, despite this, you did not verify the authenticity of the rumor before posting a false allegation. It took me more than two years to make you realize your mistake-more than two years of legal battle to make you understand the weight of your position and the power of your words,” she stated.

“The consequences of false allegations can be severe, not just for the person being accused but for everyone caught in the storm. I have experienced this firsthand, and I can attest to the difficulties that come with defending oneself against misinformation. While it is easy for rumours to spread, it takes immense effort to restore truth and dignity,” Athena Sadiq added.

After having realised that Leela Samson reduced the visibility of her apology post, Athena Sadiq posted on Facebook –

“To those who actively shared, commented, and reacted to the post two and a half years back, without verifying the authenticity of the allegations-many voices spoke loudly then, but where are those voices now?

Leela Akka has now limited comments and restricted the post to a smaller circle. Does this change the willingness to engage?

Silence in the face of truth weighs heavily. I am not asking for blame or conflict-only a small show of support from those who once stood at the forefront of this discussion. That, in itself, would mean a great deal.”

The Background of the Controversy

Athena Sadiq had previously sued Leela Samson in August 2023 for spreading rumours, which led to her defamation and character assassination.

In December 2022, Samson had alleged that a teacher at the Rukmani College of Fine Arts (an institution run by Kalakshetra Foundation) had been harassing and molesting students for over 10 years.

The teacher was identified as Hari Padman, who has since been sacked, arrested and granted bail in connection to the sexual harassment case.

According to a report by ‘The Commune Mag’, Athena Sadiq (whose name was not published at the time) was a dance intern at the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts. She had been associated with the esteemed institute for over 7 years until then.

In one of the comments, Leela Samson wrote, “He (Hari Padman) has a mistress – Athena who is an intern and known to bully the younger students. Everyone knows. Junior students apparently ask the question – what do have to do to get a role in the concert section!“

Following social media upheaval over the controversy, Leela Samson deleted her original post accusing Hari Padman of being a ‘sexual predator’ and Athena Sadiq of being his ‘mistress.’

In her police complaint, Athena Sadiq stated, “Before mentioning my name in the Facebook post, it would have been prudent and proper for Ms. Leela Samson to have checked with me about the veracity or genuineness of the rumours she was supposedly hearing about me. The same was not done. There was not even a shred of truth to the allegations mentioned in the comment.”

The complaint was closed by the police after Leela Samson claimed that ‘mistress’ translated to the Tamil word ‘ejamaani’ which translated to ‘feudal landlady’. She had rationalised her distasteful remarks by claiming that Athena Sadiq tutored the son of the accused Hari Padman.

The Kalashetra Foundation’s Internal Complaints Committee, as per Commune Mag, conducted an inquiry into the Facebook comments of Leela Samson but found not truth to the allegations of any relationship between the victim and the accused teacher.

More than 2 years later, on Sunday (15th June), Samson finally apologised to Athena for her unfounded claims.

Past controversies of Leela Samson

OpIndia had reported on Leela Samson more than a decade ago in January 2015. We pointed out how the former Director of ‘The Kalakshetra Foundation’ was the ex-dance teacher of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

We highlighted how she was forced to resign from Kalakshetra for flouting the upper age limit meant for the position of a Director.

The Gandhi family loyalist had come under the scanner for financial irregularities and at least 16 irregular appointments.

During her stint with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as ex-chairperson, she objected to films that exposed Islamic fundamentalism or hurt sentiments of the Christian community.

Interestingly, Samson defended the release of the movie ‘PK’ by claiming, “Every film may hurt religious sentiments of somebody or the other. We can’t remove scenes unnecessarily because there is something called creative endeavour where people present things in their own way.”

She had removed the ‘dancing Ganesha’ from the logo of the Kalakshetra Foundation and ordered the removal of all Ganesha Idols from the premises.

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