The recent accusations against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are just the latest contribution to the "Me, too" movement, exposing sexual harassment by the rich and powerful, and others, and finally demanding justice and accountability. But what becomes of the guilty? Where laws were broken, they should be prosecuted, of course. In many cases that perhaps don't meet the standards for prosecution, the guilty party still resigned, either voluntarily or under pressure. Many of these people are politicians, performers, CEOs and others who have also made significant contributions to their fields and to the community. None of this excuses their sexual impositions, but by kicking them out of their fields altogether, are throwing out the baby with the bath water? Is there a way to salvage their skills and professional expertise while also holding them accountable and obtaining justice for their victims? Even those given criminal convictions will eventually be released. What next?
I was thinking about the same question.
Some even take advantage of sexual behaviors outside of work in order to dismantle someone's life and harass them, either directly or indirectly. Many people in power don't want to have their sexual life exposed because they're afraid of scandal and the probability of their power and position lost. Why would I care what someone does in their personal life? I find that highly absurd. I care about their competence. Their work is a matter, while their sex life is another matter and none of my damn business.
Concerning those who took advantage of their position in order to exploit women's weakness and demand sexual favors before giving them a promotion or other benefits, the guilt and responsibility is divided between them both. The man for abusing his position and using it for frivolous ends, and the woman for going with it as if she didn't have any other choice.
There should be a committee that takes care of these cases. If the woman said "No" and had proof that she was harassed, she'd have the upper hand. In this case she can either:
-Forgive him and let him know that she would file for harassment if he repeats the behavior again. Chances are, he might repeat this behavior with another woman. Mercy is nice but some people do not appreciate it. This one is completely up to her.
-Or, file for harassment with proof and give him a warning for abusing power without revoking his privileges. Should this behavior happen again he will be digging his own grave and he should either resign by himself or have his position automatically taken away. His professional credibility will be at stake since he's now labeled a sexual perpetrator and people will assume that he's likely to repeat that behavior in a different environment.
The question is, how can you utilize the latent abilities of a highly competent individual in the workplace knowing that they have the potential to harm your work environment?
They will be offered the benefit of the doubt and should get some professional help. Since raw discipline is not meant for everyone, adequate and honest professionals should take care of such cases in order to vouch for the patient's psychological sanity after a rehab program.
Whom it may concern can now hire the individual, a hopefully functional one. If his case seems helpless, he is to be discharged immediately.
If they're going to compromise the sane atmosphere of the work environment, their competence matters not.
If the woman said yes and went on with it expecting something to gain, she will be punished as severely as the man for contributing in scandalous acts, bringing drama, and wasting our time. Say "No" next time.
If these women knew they had nothing to gain, they wouldn't have attempted these dramatic stunts. If they knew that they would be blamed and had to take responsibility for saying yes, they wouldn't have mentioned it.