On a recent episode of the podcast “Freakonomics,” researchers reported that older male professors at colleges and universities are less likely to partner with younger female colleagues because of the impact of the “Me Too” movement.
In other words, these men are concerned about doing something inappropriate that will cause them to be added to the long list of men who have been credibly accused of sexual harassment in the workplace.
This reticence, it turns out, is not good for younger female researchers because less experienced academics often leverage the reputation and notoriety of their more senior colleagues by partnering with them to launch their research and publishing careers.
It turns out that this is happening across business sectors, as men responsible for hiring and promoting within their organizations have been less willing to hire and promote women due to the ramifications of the “Me Too” movement.
To these men, I ask:
What the hell is wrong with you?
I have spent the last 25 years working as one of a tiny handful of men in an elementary school. Currently, there are 18 classroom teachers in my school, plus another seven essentials teachers and at least ten special education teachers. That amounts to at least 35 certified staff members, and I’m probably forgetting at least a few.
The number of certified staff members who are men:
Four. And one of them only works part-time at my school.
In my 25 years of almost always being the only man in the room, I have never been inappropriate with a woman or – at least to my knowledge – made a woman feel uncomfortable. Nor have I ever worried about doing such a thing – intentionally or accidentally.
I also dated two of my previous colleagues (and married one of them), and both of those relationships were conducted respectfully, professionally, and appropriately, absent any inappropriate conduct.
Before becoming a teacher, I attended an all-women’s college where I was always the only man in every classroom. I spent three years on campus with only female students, and I was never inappropriate with a woman or – at least to my knowledge -made a woman feel uncomfortable,
I have spent nearly three decades in the company of almost exclusively women, and I have never once worried about the possibility of being accused of sexual harassment or anything even close to it.
Yet, across academia and business, men are now worried about saying or doing the wrong thing around women.
Here’s the important part:
It’s not hard to avoid sexually harassing your coworkers.
The rule is simple:
Treat all people – women and men – as human beings.
Treat all colleagues – regardless of their sex – as colleagues.
Treat men and women equally.
Unless you’re some kind of a monster, it’s not hard.
If you’re an academic, an employer, a supervisor, an administrator, a human resources director, or a business owner, and you’re afraid to hire, partner with, or promote women because you’re afraid of the “Me Too” movement, you have a problem. And it’s not the result of the “Me Too” movement.
It’s you.
Decent, respectful, professional men do not worry about acting inappropriately around women. Nor do they have difficulty acting decent, respectful, or professional around women.
