Beijing, April 8 (IANS): Two Chinese universities have severed ties with a professor who was accused of the sexual assault of a female student who committed suicide in 1998.

The scandal resurfaced this week after a person claiming to be the victim's former classmate published the allegations online demanding an apology and a thorough investigation, reports Xinhua news agency.

Shen Yang left Peking University in 2011 and has since taught at the School of Liberal Arts at Nanjing University.

The school announced on Saturday that it has advised Shen to resign from his teaching post and admitted it did not perform a background check on him during the transfer.

"The scandal has caused a disturbance at the school and affected its academic prestige. It is no longer suitable for Shen to work here," it said.

On Friday, Peking University said that police investigated the case in 1998 and has now asked the teacher ethics and discipline committee to re-examine it.

Shanghai Normal University, where Shen had worked part-time as a professor, also terminated its contract with him on Saturday, insisting zero-tolerance for those who violate teaching ethics.