Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment

    Linda Hirshman charts the course of the movement against sexual harassment, which like most left-wing movements, was in the works for years. We had Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique, then Anita Hill’s testimony, then further court cases and the #metoo movement. Hirshman also writes about the resistance to change, much of it from women – like Phyllis Schafly – who Hirshman believes was looking to avoid losing the security of her husband’s money.

The author uses a case I was not familiar with, that of Cornell physics professor Boyce McDaniel, and how he sexually harassed women administrators in the 1970’s. It led to women in higher education documenting the abuse they put up with, including ogling, inappropriate stares, unwanted touching, pressure to have sex with their bosses, and loss of promotions (or even their jobs) if they refused. The book Sexual Shakedown (also n to me) showed how there was widespread abuse of women recruits in the Washington DC police, and at the time, police departments had only recently begun recruiting women on par with men. Though not quoted by Hirshman, a 2005 book by ex-NYPD detective Kathy Burke documented the same thing. I also recall a scene from Margaret Cho’s memoir, I’m the One That I Want, where she encounters intimidating behavior from boys at a military school; they jump on stage and do push-ups during her performance. I found it surprising for two reasons; the first is that you’d think the boys in a military school would be taught better behavior, and secondly, in the Jewish high school I attended, interrupting a guest speaker would’ve gotten you expelled!

Hirshman blames past problems on the lack of codified laws regarding workplace harassment. There were certainly none in the 1970’s, and there was also the question of whether the individual harasser or the employer was responsible for the damages. It wouldn’t be until 1986, when the case of Michelle Vinson highlighted the “hostile environment” as actionable in court. Then there was the question of whether it was sexual abuse or just boorish behavior and bad manners. Would a plaintiff have to be physically injured to collect a settlement? The case of Bill Clinton and Paula Jones from 1999 shows another problem in sexual harassment cases, involving social class. Was Paul Jones, a low-wage woman with no degree, considered an easy target for a man with power? While he may have exposed himself and/or propositioned her, he never threatened her job, so the media was quick to dismiss the issue. Then again, it can be very disturbing for a woman to be called to her boss’ hotel room and propositioned. If it caused an emotional interference and her work suffered, then that would be a problem.

Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein are the cap of the story, though I wager there will be a lot more to write about in the next three years. Let’s look back at previously disgraced luminaries to see how things turned out. First off is the Frugal Gourmet, sued and de-aired for sexually abusing young men, but since few remember him, it’s no longer a disgrace. Then there’s the actor James Stacey, imprisoned for sexually threatening little girls in the 1990’, his career ruined and forgotten. Then there’s the TV personality Rolf Harris, actor Jeffrey Jones, singer Gary Glitter, Judge Wachtler, Father Bruce Ritter, and a New York City Montessori principal, to name a few. They all ruined their careers with systematic, sexually abusive behavior. Now I have to wonder, do we really need these people? Will the word lose anything if they can no longer work? When it comes to Harvey Weinstein, I have to wonder if the film studios were afraid OF him, or afraid of losing him? Were they afraid that nobody could do as good a job as him? Now that Bill Cosby is disgraced and ruined, his former admirers feel betrayed, but does America need Bill Cosby?

When the Weinstein scandal broke, Howard Stern said “I’m 60 years old, tall, thin, and ugly, and Harvey’s 60 years old, short, fat, and ugly, and if you saw me naked, you’d die of fright. Harvey, you’re old and ugly, women don’t want to see you naked in the shower!” Now I wonder, Howard Stern if the most vulgar man in the USA, so why hasn’t HE been a target of more complaints? What about all the other sleaze-jocks in the USA, like Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt, Al Goldstein, Russ Meyer, and others? Why were they rarely accused of sexual harassment? Maybe this country’s morals police were more interested in what people said than when they did? For years the FCC went after obscene content, but ignored inappropriate behavior.

Behavior standards have obviously changed, and with it, the definition of sexual harassment. It remains to be seen how it will be defined in the next decade.