Re: "Sexual Harassment" ?

["lara (l.) swift" <swiftl -at- BNR -dot- CA>]

>Perhaps Karen can explain her point of view, and then members of the
>list can
>discuss (1) whether they'd view the comment as denigrating and
>constituting
>sexual harassment, and (2) how they'd handle the situation as the
>supervisor.
> Let's keep the discussion focused on the language as much as we can.

Hi all,

From what I have learned about sexual harrassment, I believe that this
is a case of inappropriate Language rather than actual sexual
harrassment.  I interpret being called "smartie pants" as the same as
being called a "browner" or a "know it all", and has nothing to do with
sexual harassment.  Sexual harrassment concerns comments or actions of a
sexual nature by someone in a position of power. I have had to deal with
sexual harrassment before. My concern is that if people start to become
obsessed with calling things like this harrassment the true sexual
harrassment claims, where your job and integrity are at stake, will get
lost in the pile.

If someone called me a "smartie pants" I would tell them to grow up,
which is much more appropriate than making a federal case over it.

-Lara
swiftl -at- bnr -dot- ca


>Karen Kay takes exception to a comment by Vince Putman, and makes a
couple of
>interesting allegations (5/6, "No Such Thing as Technical Editor").
Alleged
>denigration and sexual harassment are the topics du jour.

>A couple of questions are relevent here and of more than passing
interest:
> Members of this list deal in language for a living, sexual harassment
is the
>kind of charge that would demand management attention and perhaps
judicial
>arbitration, and nearly anyone could become the target of this charge,
if the
>exchange below is any indication.  For now, pretend you're the
supervisor of
>the employees involved, and the complaint has just arrived at your
desk.

>The exchange goes as follows.  In part, Karen quotes Vince:

>>> BTW, David Demyan made the comment about Editors not
>>> writing to which I responded:  "I have known a few non-technical
>>> people who could write very well.  They make good Editors of
>>> technical documents sometimes -- if they have a very keen
>>> sense of what would change the technical content."
>>>
>>> So there smartie pants, more FACTS.

>Karen responds to Vince, in pertinent part:

>> I can't begin to tell you how angry this last sentence makes me.
>> If we were working together and you said this, and did not
>> apologize for being rude and denigrating, it's the kind of thing I
>> would go to a supervisor over. It's the kind of statement that
>> smacks of sexual harrassment and makes me want to slap your
>> face.

>Regarding the "so there, smartie pants" comment:

>1.  Is the comment "denigrating"?  How so?

>     Is it defammatory?  Does it belittle the person to whom it was
>     addressed?

>2.  Does the comment constitute "sexual harassment"?  How?

>Perhaps Karen can explain her point of view, and then members of the
list can
>discuss (1) whether they'd view the comment as denigrating and
constituting
>sexual harassment, and (2) how they'd handle the situation as the
supervisor.
> Let's keep the discussion focused on the language as much as we can.

>Chas. Bosdet