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boopster · 03-18-2011, 03:11 PM

I would have said "That's OK - because I don't consider you a man!" But then I have an unfortunate tendency to blurt out things like that when under pressure.

I looked at your picture, and you are a beautiful young woman, so don't let anyone make you think otherwise. Sounds like you are in a program with some men who are immature and threatened by you.

Other than gritting your teeth and living through this period, I don't know what you can do except work to outshine these jerks. There are sexual harrassment laws that apply to students. If your school is in the U.S., it is subject to Title IX of the education amendments of 1972, and they are subject to some nasty repercussions if they knowingly allow harassment to take place.

Sexual harassment does not require the expectation of sexual activity. It can be as "simple" as the creation of a hostile environment based on your gender. The comment and laughter in front of your program director should have been enough in my mind to require that she take steps to stop it and/or report it.

Your school is required to have a policy on sexual harassment and a procedure for reporting it. You will probably find that information in your student handbook. Retaliation against someone for reporting sexual harassment is illegal. Unfortunately, there are a lot of subtle ways of retaliating against someone that might not meet the standard of proof in court -- such as the silent treatment from your fellow students or extra scrutiny of your performance if evaluations are subjective. So as an outsider, I would recommend that you think long and hard about the possible outcome if you did complain.

Also - you might be tempted to have a private talk with a professor or your program director about these issues. If you do, you should know that they have a legal obligation to report any complaints or observed incidents even if you ask for confidentiality.

Having been on the receiving end of a hostile environment situation many years ago, I think I understand how you feel. I held my head up as high as I could, did the best work I could, and watched the people involved get fired one by one for other reasons. Because when someone pulls that kind of thing, their ethics and behavior have a tendency to be lacking in other areas as well.

03-18-2011, 03:11 PM	#15
boopster Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Southern California, USA Posts: 1,643 Blog Entries: 1	I would have said "That's OK - because I don't consider you a man!" But then I have an unfortunate tendency to blurt out things like that when under pressure. I looked at your picture, and you are a beautiful young woman, so don't let anyone make you think otherwise. Sounds like you are in a program with some men who are immature and threatened by you. Other than gritting your teeth and living through this period, I don't know what you can do except work to outshine these jerks. There are sexual harrassment laws that apply to students. If your school is in the U.S., it is subject to Title IX of the education amendments of 1972, and they are subject to some nasty repercussions if they knowingly allow harassment to take place. Sexual harassment does not require the expectation of sexual activity. It can be as "simple" as the creation of a hostile environment based on your gender. The comment and laughter in front of your program director should have been enough in my mind to require that she take steps to stop it and/or report it. Your school is required to have a policy on sexual harassment and a procedure for reporting it. You will probably find that information in your student handbook. Retaliation against someone for reporting sexual harassment is illegal. Unfortunately, there are a lot of subtle ways of retaliating against someone that might not meet the standard of proof in court -- such as the silent treatment from your fellow students or extra scrutiny of your performance if evaluations are subjective. So as an outsider, I would recommend that you think long and hard about the possible outcome if you did complain. Also - you might be tempted to have a private talk with a professor or your program director about these issues. If you do, you should know that they have a legal obligation to report any complaints or observed incidents even if you ask for confidentiality. Having been on the receiving end of a hostile environment situation many years ago, I think I understand how you feel. I held my head up as high as I could, did the best work I could, and watched the people involved get fired one by one for other reasons. Because when someone pulls that kind of thing, their ethics and behavior have a tendency to be lacking in other areas as well.