Our founder @j_zelikova weighs in on the UC Irvine sexual harassment case and firing of Ayala: "No form of harassment is OK. … He could have corrected his behavior. He did not. Being fired for doing something that is illegal is justice." sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/h…
@j_zelikova But there was more we had to say on the subject. A thread:
@j_zelikova 1. No form of harassment is ok, regardless of the stature or “brilliance” of the harasser.
@j_zelikova 2. Every human deserves to be treated with respect and to feel safe in their workplace. The baseline behavior is not to harass people and harassers should not get some sort of bonus points for harassing just a little or being a creepy old European gentleman.
@j_zelikova 3. Did Ayala's punishment way exceeded his crimes? Absolutely not. He had complete control over his behavior, he could have NOT harassed people. UC Irvine has annual mandatory harassment training, which means he annually decided that the information did not apply to him.
@j_zelikova 4. Any day, any time, he could have corrected his behavior. He did not. Being fired for doing something that is illegal is justice.
@j_zelikova 5. The Rock Test applies - would Ayala have made the same comments to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Ayala’s comments to women colleagues emphasized their appearance and gender and not their professional contributions. Did he make similar comments to male colleagues? Reportedly, no.
@j_zelikova 6. What the women at UC Irvine went through matters. These women (and likely more women than those named in the investigation) were harassed, belittled, and had to go into work every day with the fear of having to dodge Ayala and his inappropriate behavior.
@j_zelikova 7. This is far from an isolated occurrence - women face the kind of harassment described in the UC Irvine investigation and much worse on a daily basis, in most scientific institutions and workplaces. sites.nationalacademies.org/shstudy/index.…
@j_zelikova 8. Harassment in all its different forms is widespread and tolerated by academic institutions and rooting out sexual harassment is a collective responsibility, tied to changing organizational culture.
@j_zelikova 9. The kind of harassment the UC Irvine investigation report outlines harms the victims, the work culture, and ultimately, science.
@j_zelikova 10. The more powerful the perpetrator, the more distressing the health impacts are on the victims sites.nationalacademies.org/shstudy/index.…
@j_zelikova 11. The feelings of helplessness, fear of the perpetrator’s ability to coerce sexual cooperation, and fear of job-related repercussions for failing to cooperate all contribute to not only health problems, but also poor performance at work.
@j_zelikova 12. It is hard to do the best science when you feel threatened and anxious at work.
@j_zelikova 13. We need to get beyond the “lone brilliant scientist” trope and appreciate that science is a collaborative endeavor and that if we want to ensure the best ideas are valued, we must create work environments where people feel safe to contribute their best ideas.
@j_zelikova 14. It took tremendous courage, especially given Ayala’s position in the university and the fact that victims of harassment have a huge burden of proof placed on them. These women had nothing personal to gain from speaking up except the need to work in a safe environment.
@j_zelikova 15. Removing Ayala from the university does not transfer Ayala’s power, fame, or success to the women (grad student, department chair) who spoke up.
@j_zelikova 16. In fact, they faced a long, drawn-out interview process which required them to relive what happened to them.
@j_zelikova 17. Now, they relive it again as their stories are scrutinized in the media that largely sympathizes with Ayala, and misogynistic scorn from the still male-dominated scientific community.
@j_zelikova 18. So consider these impacts when you feel compelled apply the "both sides have a point" framing. End thread.
