Issues that Matter: Sexual Harassment

Andrew Schillaci

About two weeks ago, #MeToo swept the globe.

Women from around the world used the hashtag to share their stories of sexual harassment via Twitter and Facebook.

While the campaign briefly captured our attention, one issue remains. Other similar campaigns, and possibly this one, often fail to offer meaningful solutions to a problem.

If you scroll through Twitter, it is clear that women, led by #MeToo creator and actress Alyssa Milano, are sharing their stories and speaking out more than men. The public image of #MeToo leads us to believe that only women are impacted by sexual harassment.

In reality, we all are.

Hollywood and Fox News have dominated headlines for the past few weeks, but they’re not the only hotbeds for sexual harassment. The CEO of Social Finance, an online lending start-up based in Silicon Valley, was fired because of inappropriate text messages he sent to an executive assistant. One of Social Finance’s underwriters said the culture at the company “was a frat house.”

Unfortunately, perpetrators can use money and influence as their No. 1 weapon.

For example, 21^st Century Fox was aware of the sixth woman who alleged sexual harassment by Bill O’Reilly. Knowing this, the company still gave O’Reilly a 4-year, $100 million contract.

From 21^st Century Fox’s perspective, it was a personal issue between O’Reilly and his victims. As long as O’Reilly keeps quiet with his money, the company doesn’t have to deal with criticism.

Part of the problem with nondisclosure agreements is they allow people with power to deny wrongdoing. They allow the accused to argue they did nothing wrong, going so far as to claim victimhood at the hands of gold diggers who just want a stab at their money.

To a capitalist, NDAs seem like a win-win situation. Lawyers walk away after charging a mountain of legal fees. Victims are compensated monetarily. Wrongdoers get to continue treating people however they want, and the fans of the wrongdoers still get to tune in to “The O’Reilly Factor” at 9 p.m.

The same thing will continue to happen, and it seems like we haven’t done anything to solve the problem. A hashtag is only the first step toward the general public waking up to reality.

Granted, a signed NDA is not an admission of guilt. In the O’Reilly case, however, the agreement stated all text messages and other forms of communication were to be destroyed.

You probably get the sense that something doesn’t seem right there. Yet, O’Reilly continues to yell that he signed the document in an effort to “protect his family.”

Granted, it is true that some men and women don’t want the details of their cases made public. However, there is no contesting that NDAs have delayed reporting for sexual harassment cases and stripped victims of their freedom of speech.

New York legislators are looking to void confidentiality agreements that shield workplace sexual harassment, a good way to start breaking down the chain of influence.

The sad truth is the #MeToo spotlight will soon fade, just like #PrayForParis and #IceBucketChallenge. Our social media-drunk minds will turn their attention to a new campaign, most likely less significant than #MeToo.

Then, sexual harassment will be left behind when the news cycle moves on.

As Lehigh students, we have a duty to stay educated about sexual harassment to protect ourselves and our peers. We go to a school where Greek life dominates the social scene. Some of us will end up working in Silicon Valley. Everywhere we go, some sort of hierarchy will exist.

Throughout our lifetime, it is likely we will witness — or have already witnessed — sexual harassment. We need to understand that regardless of the groups we belong to, we are all equal individuals. Our voices, engagement and attention have the ability to change the tide of our society.

But only if we think for ourselves and encourage others to do the same.

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Andrew Schillaci, ’17, ’18G, is a columnist for The Brown and White. He can be reached at [email protected].