posted by Mike Madison at 1:05 PM /
The Mt. Lebanon School District's lukewarm response to the "top 25" list scandal has landed it in serious hot water. According to today's P-G:
This isn't as over the top as it might seem. Imagine the following hypotheticals:
(1) Male coaches of teams at High School X meet over dinner at the home of one coach and write up a lewd list of the "tastiest district secretaries." One of the coaches brings it to the school and passes it around to various male teachers. Inevitably and rightly, someone on the high school staff complains to the Athletic Director. The Athletic Director does nothing for two weeks, telling the complainant privately that there is nothing to be done, since the document wasn't prepared on school grounds, or on school time, or using school facilities. A public uproar eventually ensues. Has the School District violated the law by ignoring this problem? Almost certainly. As a practical matter, is someone in this scenario (say, the Athletic Director) likely to be terminated over this? Yes. As an ethical matter, is that the right result? Yes, again, I think.
(2) Same scenario, but it takes place in a corporate office. Men on the sales staff, after an evening out drinking together, assemble a demeaning list of the "juiciest" secretaries on the staff. The document inevitably gets circulated around the office. The office supervisor does nothing. Does company liability follow? Almost certainly. Terminations? Yes again.
Maybe the Mt. Lebanon School District's handling of the "top 25" list can be distinguished from these hypotheticals. But an investigation -- of the District -- certainly seems warranted.
A parent of one of the girls on the sexually explicit "Top 25" list at Mt. Lebanon High School has filed a sexual harassment complaint against the district with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, alleging that district administrators did not take swift and appropriate action when they were notified of the list's existence.
This isn't as over the top as it might seem. Imagine the following hypotheticals:
(1) Male coaches of teams at High School X meet over dinner at the home of one coach and write up a lewd list of the "tastiest district secretaries." One of the coaches brings it to the school and passes it around to various male teachers. Inevitably and rightly, someone on the high school staff complains to the Athletic Director. The Athletic Director does nothing for two weeks, telling the complainant privately that there is nothing to be done, since the document wasn't prepared on school grounds, or on school time, or using school facilities. A public uproar eventually ensues. Has the School District violated the law by ignoring this problem? Almost certainly. As a practical matter, is someone in this scenario (say, the Athletic Director) likely to be terminated over this? Yes. As an ethical matter, is that the right result? Yes, again, I think.
(2) Same scenario, but it takes place in a corporate office. Men on the sales staff, after an evening out drinking together, assemble a demeaning list of the "juiciest" secretaries on the staff. The document inevitably gets circulated around the office. The office supervisor does nothing. Does company liability follow? Almost certainly. Terminations? Yes again.
Maybe the Mt. Lebanon School District's handling of the "top 25" list can be distinguished from these hypotheticals. But an investigation -- of the District -- certainly seems warranted.
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