This Needs To Be Handled

In case you haven’t read it already:

Skeptical writer and speaker Karen Stollznow has written a piece for the Scientific American blog, “I’m Sick of Talking about Sexual Harassment!”, recounting her years-long experience with on-the-job sexual harassment and sexual assault.

It has now been reported that the workplace in question was CFI, and the alleged harasser/ assailant in question is Ben Radford.

Assuming that these reports are true, and that Radford is the person discussed in Stollznow’s article: This is serious as a heart attack. CFI needs to do the right thing, stat.

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This Needs To Be Handled
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14 thoughts on “This Needs To Be Handled

  1. 1

    I wanted to make sure, so I looked though my sent email. Yup, CFI were the people with the WiS2 faceplant. Too many acronyms. I keep getting confused.

  2. 2

    CFI needs to do the right thing, stat.

    Well, we already know what standard procedure at CFI regarding these things is, right? (1) Radford will be advised to lay low and not comment publicly, (2) the CFI board will meet in a month in closed session to Discuss, (3) a few days later the board will issue a statement regretting the controversy, (4) Nothing changes!

  3. 8

    Ugh, this reminds me of some arguments I’ve had with some of my more conservative acquaintances about Fox News. I’ve asked them how many times an organization has to be found distorting the truth and blatantly lying before we regard them as a tainted source.

    Same thing with the CFI. How many times do they have to show how sexist and tone deaf they are? I realize there are people in the organization who may do good work, but as a whole the organization has tarnished its reputation badly. Without some serious long term effort to prove they’ve changed, I just cannot support them in any way.

    They ought to be ashamed, but they’re (the upper leadership) probably just mad they got caught.

    I realize that in this case only Ben Radford stands accused – but the actions taken by the CFI are pure corporate cowardice and malice. They fully share my condemnation for this.

  4. 9

    Thank you, Stephanie. So basically well after the whole WIS2 fiasco they still did nothing to show they actually give a shit about women when put in a crucial position to do so. The board had to have known about this. I would figure Lindsay should have known. Fool us once shame on you, fool us twice…?

  5. 10

    As usual posts and comments focus on the abusers and their enablers. What about Karen Stollznow and all the other women who have risked much to report the harassment? They are heroes in the war on misogyny. Why not applaud and honor them, reduce some of the onus on reporting abuse by celebrating those who are doing the work that many others will benefit from.

  6. 12

    I first became aware of this when I saw it on PZ’s blog the other day. I am SORELY disappointed. Skeptical Inquirer is one of my favorite mags. CFI keeps bugging me for contributions – I guess THEY will be disappointed now.

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