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March 23, 2005
A lesson on why it sometimes pays to keep one's mouth shut
In a stunning example of why managers should not offer commentary on personnel matters, the Associated Press today reports the case of a Harvard University librarian who is suing the university, claiming that she has been repeatedly rejected for promotion because she is black and is perceived as just a "pretty girl" whose attire was too "sexy." The librarian, Desiree Goodwin, said that she had been rejected for 16 jobs at Harvard since 1999, when she received a master's degree in library science. (The implication in the short AP story is that Ms. Goodwin was working in a non-professional staff position at Harvard, although it is not specific.) Apparently in late 2001 Ms. Goodwin's supervisor told her that she would never be promoted because she was seen "merely as a pretty girl who wore sexy outfits, low-cut blouses and tight pants."
If the supervisor did as Ms. Goodwin alleges--the case is currently at the beginning a jury trial, which means that Harvard has not been able to settle with Ms. Goodwin--it is a textbook case of how not to behave as a supervisor. It has potential racial and sexual discrimination written all over it. (In fairness, there are always at least two sides of stories such as these, so we must wait for the court's decision to know more.) Those sorts of comments should presumably not even be offered to anyone else. My sympathies to that personnel administrator, but it sounds like there is a lot of room for managerial education at that institution. Case's HR Department has historically been proactive about providing training to supervisors through the frequent supervisory briefing sessions in order to avoid these kinds of situations. But, still, it takes come common sense--when a supervisor considers hiring or promotion, one does not make derogatory comments about attire, race, religion, personal appearance, marriage status. Stick to the facts of qualifications.
Posted by tdr at March 23, 2005 09:21 PM