The Chronicle today published a deeply reported story by @jackstripling on issues of sexual harassment and retaliation at the Miller Center. chronicle.com/article/For-U-…
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I was involved in this story because, back in early September, I recounted my experiences of sexism at the Miller Center and in my career more broadly. You can catch up on that thread here: /2
Since then, a few things have happened. First, @ReneeBranson72 and another colleague went on the record about their own experiences of harassment. /3
Their decision to tell their stories is an act of bravery, coming at a moment when we have been brutally reminded that women aren’t rewarded for speaking out about abuses by powerful men. /4
My own story didn’t end with that Twitter thread. Since then, I’ve been largely absent from social media, and I haven’t been writing much. There’s a reason for that. /5
A few days after I shared my experiences, someone decided that, in order to protect the Miller Center, they needed to discredit me. They created an anonymous Twitter account and spent several days calling into question my motives, my reactions, and my credibility. /6
It was clear from the start that this was someone connected with the Miller Center; I can’t say more than that because there’s an ongoing investigation. I will say it has been a gutting experience. /7
As you can see in the Chronicle piece, the Center leadership has framed this not as a problem of harassment and retaliation but as one of a lack of trust — as though the issue is that I don’t have faith in my colleagues, not that one of them targeted me for speaking up. /8
It’s hard to explain the emotional toll that retaliation takes, especially when you have little confidence that wrongs will be righted. As a writer, losing my words — not being able to focus or just push through — has genuinely shaken me. It feels like losing part of myself. /9
I’ll confess that through all this, I’ve been naïve. When I spoke up, I thought my status and visibility would protect me; I was wrong. /10
I thought accumulation of facts and evidence would change people’s minds; I was wrong. I thought the pressure of lawsuits, reputational harm, and moral imperatives would wake people up; so far, I’ve been wrong there, too. /11
I’m not going to let this fallow moment ossify into a permanent condition, nor am I going to stop talking about my experiences, even though I have a much clearer idea of the costs. /12
And I’m not going to give up hope that institutional change is possible — that moments of crisis can spur positive change. /13
I’ve had tremendous support from so many of my colleagues at the Center, at UVA, and further afield. In a month when I have had countless opportunities to see people at their worst, they have reminded me of the grace and power of people at their best. /14
They’ve strengthened my resolve to keep fighting, not because I’m certain that there will be justice, but because it’s the right thing to do. 15/15
