LONDON: A British businessman was fired from a government board on Wednesday after attending a high-profile charity dinner where the hostesses were reportedly sexually harassed, while a minister was forced to defend his presence.David Meller was asked to step down from the department of education board over his role as joint chairman of the Presidents Club fundraising dinner last week, where a Financial Times witnessed widespread abuse. ?The department of education is clear that this is unacceptable, right from the word go,? junior minister Anne Milton told MPs in the House of Commons. ?There is an association between rich, wealthy people and this behaviour,? she added.