A world-renowned cardiologist bombarded his young employee with thousands of text messages, repeatedly asked her for coffee, offered her a ride home and allegedly touched her buttocks, according to a sexual harassment complaint.
Jennifer de Jongh, 28, also alleged that teacher Chris Semsarian, 57, showed up unannounced at her house, prompting her housemate to threaten to call the police.
Ms de Jongh, originally from New Zealand but living in Sydney at the time, lodged the sexual harassment claim in the Federal Court on February 12.
She reported directly to Professor Semsarian while he worked at the Centenary Institute from June 2022 to December of that year, where the pair exchanged between 3,000 and 4,000 texts.
During this time, Professor Semsarian, a professor of medicine at the University of Sydney, a cardiologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and deputy director of the Centenary Institute, is accused of constantly ordering coffee from Ms de Jongh and offering to take her home.
Jennifer de Jongh, 28, was allegedly sexually harassed by teacher Chris Semsarian, 57, (pictured).
He allegedly bombarded her with text messages with love hearts and smiling emojis that were often sent after hours and late at night.
Professor Semsarian has denied the allegations and said he will “vigorously defend” them in a legal defense to be filed, according to the report. Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Over a six-month period, there were only seven days when Professor Semsarian and Ms de Jongh did not speak, according to the claim seen by Daily Mail Australia.
On her first day of work at the Centenary Institute they had coffee, before Professor Semsarian offered her a ride home two days later.
She initially refused but then accepted, something that would happen on several more occasions.
The document presented to the Federal Court included countless texts sent by Professor Semsarian.
“Coffee and your company are the perfect start to the day,” he wrote in a July 2022 text.
Ms de Jongh lodged a sexual harassment complaint with the Federal Court in February.
In August he wrote: ‘I know it’s almost your bedtime… but if you’re free, come to the tmr clinic early (tomorrow) for coffee. I don’t want to sound pathetic, but I won’t see you for the rest of the week (sad face emoji).’
‘You. Have. Made. My. Day. It will be so good to see you. It seems like an eternity!! We’ll talk about a little cupcake later,” she said in another message, before writing “I don’t want to seem too needy” two days later.
Professor Semsarian told Ms de Jongh that “the balance of my life was restored” after she returned to work one day in September.
Then, one day in October, he referred to her as “princess” when he asked her what she wanted to order.
‘You are the best Jen. “I don’t know if you’re joking, but I really get excited going to sleep knowing we’re going to have coffee together, NOT with (another colleague),” she wrote that night.
‘I have separation anxiety overnight!!!’
When Professor Semsarian was away in November 2022, he sent her a text message saying: “I don’t want to be presumptuous, but I hope to have coffee with you on Thursday morning.” And a big hug too? I hope the clinic goes well..’
The photo shows some of the texts shared between the couple during six months working together.
The teacher bombarded Mrs de Jongh with affectionate messages
The cardiologist also insisted on taking Ms de Jongh home, even though she often said she would walk or that she had not finished the work yet.
‘First patient at 145, so come at 115 pm! I can not wait. And I definitely have to take you home!! No arguments. A lot of time has passed!!’ he said in another text from September.
‘Not only is it raining, but there is thunder!!! I have to take you home!! I love God – he always answers my prayers and more!!’ he said in a message a few days later.
In another message he wrote: ‘Oh Jen. I’m worried about you walking at night! I can be your personal Uber anytime! Sweet Dreams beautiful! See you tmr’.
A text conversation between the pair showed Ms de Jongh turning down an offer to take her because she was meeting a friend, to which Professor Semsarian said he was “devastated”.
Finally he said he could take her part of the way.
One October night, De Jongh was meeting a friend in Bondi, who Professor Semsarian offered to give her a lift.
During the trip, he told her “no means no to everyone, except if you say so to me,” according to the statement of claim.
“If I offer you dinner, you can’t say no, if I offer you a ride home, you can’t say no.”
He then claimed it was a joke and told her not to be so “uptight about it.”
He then asked her if she had been sexually abused before, since “he got the impression from how you reacted to something the other day that you might have been.”
The professor asked if Ms de Jongh thought they had a connection and if they often asked her for coffee.
Professor Semsarian also begged de Jongh to have dinner with him from time to time while he took her home, and confided that he and his wife were not doing many things together.
In other messages, Professor Semsarian wrote: ‘Seriously, do we have a connection?’ It’s scary!! It will be great to meet your mother.
‘Why do you think I ask you the night before if you can make coffee?… so I go to sleep happy and wake up excited. I love your company. It’s so easy, so meaningful. So happy.
‘OK. Go get a good night’s sleep, even if you don’t need it, and we’ll see you. Sweet dreams.’
He also sent her a photo of his bed in his hotel room once and on another occasion said he was having “Jen withdrawals.”
When De Jongh was traveling in Tasmania with a friend, Professor Semsarian asked where they were both sleeping.
When she responded by saying they shared a bed, he said words like: ‘ooh, don’t think badly of me.’
In other texts he wrote: ‘I am totally genuine. I probably share too much with you but it’s the truth. I miss you on weekends.
‘Hey. I saw a doctor today and he diagnosed me with J-SAD! Separation anxiety disorder related to Jen!! The Dr. said it is a chronic condition. I told the Dr. I was going to be gone for a week and the Dr. suggested the only treatment was to have a drink or dinner with Jen before I left.
Ms de Jongh also claims that her supervisor touched her on the buttocks when she got into his car in October 2022.
On another occasion, she claimed he looked at her chest and complimented her blouse.
He also bought her a pair of $900 Apple Airpod Max headphones, which De Jongh repeatedly refused to accept.
In November 2022, Ms de Jongh told Professor Semsarian that she felt overwhelmed by the number of text messages he sent and that she sometimes “felt uncomfortable” and wanted to keep their communication strictly work-related.
Later that day, the teacher texted her that a “big storm” was coming and offered her a ride home, which she declined.
About a week later, Professor Semsarian texted De Jongh’s mother asking if she was okay, as she had traveled to New Zealand and contracted Covid.
Professor Semsarian also repeatedly offered to drive the 27-year-old home from work.
At the end of November, Ms de Jongh received a certificate from her doctor stating that she was not fit to work for the next week due to “stress and anxiety arising from Professor Semsarian’s behaviour”.
Then the teacher sent chocolates and fruits to her house. On December 5, 2022, De Jongh called him to tell him that she was resigning.
Three days later, Professor Semsarian attempted to call Mrs de Jongh twice before appearing unannounced at her apartment and ringing the intercom several times.
She did not respond, but her roommate told Professor Semsarian not to come home or she would call the police, according to the statement of claim.
Mrs de Jongh blocked his number the next day and left for New Zealand. She currently lives in Norway.
The statement of claim said Professor Semsarian’s conduct was “inappropriately affectionate” and carried out in a “manner that mimicked a romantic relationship.”
Mrs de Jongh suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and depression due to the relationship, it has been claimed, and past and future medical expenses.
The Centenary Institute did not initiate any investigation. The organization said it was filing a defense and “could not comment.”
He added that he is serious about eliminating workplace harassment.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Professor Semsarian for comment.