USC settles lawsuit that accused professor of sexual harassment

USC settled a lawsuit by a former student who accused David Kang, an international relations professor, of sexually harassing her, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

The last-minute agreement, reached Monday morning, allowed USC to dodge a potentially embarrassing jury trial that was set to begin the same day with testimony from university administrators including President Beong-Soo Kim.

The August 2024 suit by Kyuri Kim — no relation to USC’s president — accused Kang of making repeated sexual advances while she was his research assistant, hitting her backside with rolled-up papers, then retaliating when she turned him down — and alleged that USC failed to properly handle her complaints.

The terms of the settlement agreement will likely remain private, but a USC spokesperson told Morning, Trojan on Monday that Kang’s employment at the university ended March 19. It’s unclear whether he resigned or was terminated.

"We are pleased the parties were able to reach a resolution to put this matter behind us,” the university wrote in a statement.

Kang and attorneys for Kim did not respond to requests for comment.

Kang, 61, is still facing two ongoing lawsuits accusing him of sexual harassment and assault. In one suit filed in August 2024, a woman who played on a high school soccer team coached by Kang accused him of groping her when she was 15.

In a third suit filed in September 2025, another research assistant accused Kang of pressuring her to fulfill domestic duties after his wife died, then at one point grabbing her and shouting “I want to marry you! I want to have children with you!”

Tomo Chien can be reached at [email protected].