Have the Sciences Had a #MeToo Moment? Not So Much.
In many fields, sexual harassers have lost their jobs. But in the sciences, they’re often still getting paychecks instead of punishment.
I have watched the #metoo campaign as avidly as anyone. I have gone to bed each night wondering who will be outed as a sexual harasser in the morning, whether it will be another one of my political heroes or someone we all recognize from mainstream media or Hollywood. We’ve seen many of these perpetrators lose jobs, be forced to resign, and face economic difficulty because of their abhorrent behaviors.
But I have not gone to bed a single night in all these months wondering what scientist would be sacked in the morning because of his transgressions—let alone be publicly outed—because scientist-harassers rarely lose their jobs.
Allow me to explain. For the past six years I’ve conducted research on sexual harassment in the sciences and worked to raise awareness of it. I’ve surveyed more than a thousand people, conducted dozens of interviews, and collaborated across multiple disciplines. I’ve given lectures and delivered congressional testimony on the topic. Here’s what the research shows:
