Did somebody mention sexism in science?
The accused is Dr. Aurelio Galli, whose research deals with dopamine transport and signalling.
At a conference the professor “… required the female graduate students to attend a boat party where the male professors became intoxicated and were allowed to make romantic and sexual advances on the students.”
Then there’s this: The professor “would routinely call her ugly, fat and … a stupid in front of other students.”
The suit alleges he knew the graduate student was a recovering alcoholic and told her he wished she “would start drinking again because she would be more fun,” and that “… she would be less stressed out if she had more sex.”
She would be less stressed out if the professor didn’t keep calling her ugly, fat, and stupid, too.
How did the department chair handle it?
According to the lawsuit, when the student reported the conduct to the professor’s supervisor he informed her “that in his opinion it was nothing but a personality conflict.”
Unsurprisingly, Vanderbilt says it will “vigorously defend itself.”
It’s all a personality conflict, isn’t it – between the normal, male personality and the crazed moon-ridden unfathomable female personality.
“Personality conflict” is almost exclusively used to describe bullying by a superior, and very rarely to describe conflict between peers.
Grad students required to attend a party where the professors could make advances on them?
Ok, I know grad students are adults and it’s technically permissible (I think?… Have I invented this?) for a student and a professor to be involved with each other if they’re not in a student/teacher situation, but how is this not a gross misuse of power?
Here’s a copy of the lawsuit in question VANDERBILT HARASSMENT LAWSUIT – COMPLAINT. The claimed damages are very high considering that there’s a cap of $300,000 + backpay on most of the claims, though it’s possible that the state causes of actions make the $20 million claimed more plausible. It’s also worth pointing out that the plaintiff’s lawyer is a young solo practitioner who doesn’t specialize in the area, which sometimes indicates that the case isn’t very credible.
Amen. I’ve gotten the “doesn’t play well with others” review at work before–but, mysteriously, nobody above me in the food chain has gotten a negative review for failing to play well with me. Go figure.
Bad managers always blame their colleagues, even when they encounter the same responses and behaviour from many different members of staff. They rarely examine their own behaviour.
Cynical bullies and predators can easily hide behind a mask of that sort of lack of critical insight, accepted or ignored as it is.
The lawsuit is here: http://pastebin.com/AGQntVRL Typical manic (or manic-depressive) behavior, perhaps narcissistic personality disorder. Send your daughters elsewhere, not Vanderbilt.
…I know this woman (unless I am very much mistaken). We were undergraduates together and were on the same sports team.
Jebus.