Sexual harassment
review a necessity
The Status of Women Committee took a belated and
necessary step forward Thursday with its overview of sexual
harassment at the University, and we commend the action as
a forum for needed change.
The first-degree rape and sexual-abuse charge convic
tions of University religious studies Professor Stephen
Reynolds, coupled with alleged sexual harassment charges
against Reynolds by at least six women during a 14-year
period at the University, illustrate how an offender could
circumvent the normal channels that deal with sexual
harassment.
Following the Ruynolds harassment disclosure. Univer
sity President Paul Oium asked the Status of Women Com
mittee in November 1986 whether a review of the Univer
sity's policy of sexual harassment was necessary. It subse
quently found need for review, with its results first being
aired May 21.
Sexual harassment is markedly different from other
forms of discrimination and should be governed by pro
cedures that are different from those for discrimination as
well as other academic and employment grievances. More
privacy during the investigation and decision process is
necessary.
We agree a grievance hearing otticer would do mucn to
bring definite accountability in terms of action taken as a
result of a sexual harassment complaint. We encourage the
counselor to take an advocate role, rather than advisory, to
assist the grievant in formulating and following up the com
plaint and to represent the grievant in any capacity.
The grievance officer also should be independent of the
Office of Affirmative Action. Wo wish to see joint Universi
ty/student incidental fee-funded implementation of the pro
gram so the service would be available not only to students
but faculty and staff as well.
The present sexual harassment definition is inadequate,
and we salute the committee's effort for a more detailed
definition of the problem. Victims of sexual harassment
often are unsure whether their complaints are valid. A clear
definition of harassment would do much to end the ambigui
ty of questionable actions.
Wu question the present system of handling complaints
and encourage greater statistical record keeping of
grievances. With both informal and formal complaints, the
complainant does not know what action, if any, has been
taken as a result, and no permanent record of the complaint
is kept by the University. This will allow the complainant to
decide if he or she is satisfied or wishes to appeal the
decision.
Indefinite records should be kept to monitor repeal of
fenders. and statistical summaries of sexual-harassment
complaints should be circulated to draw attention to the
situation. The present three-year period for keeping formal
sexual-harassment records remains inadequate because the
University cannot plot long-term problem areas. Informal
complaints deserve the same status; they presently are not
filed.
The Status of Women Committee open forum was a
needed step in addressing the long-term problem and often
unspoken issue of sexual harassment. Identifying the pro
blems shows initiative; solving the problem will show com
mitment. We hope the Status of Women Committee, in con
junction with the University and the ASUO. can cure one of
the campus' overlooked and too readily accepted ailments.
r
BfiEKBDOLL
S8S3SS5
ATO apology
To whom it may concern:
I would like to apologize on
behalf of my fraternity for its ac
tions during the Greek Week
Variety Show.
Unable to attend the function,
I unfortunately heard about the
incident well after It happened
The comments made to other
fraternities and sororties were
definitely uncalled for. not to
mention the choice of language
used.
I personally extend an
apology to parents, faculty,
alumni and to the rest of the
University for creating an em
barrassing situation.
Franklin W. Bender
President, Alpha Tau Omega
SPA pranks
Old ideologies die hard. A
plea for women-only drivers for
Saferide in the May/June Reconi
stated "it is impossible to
develop criteria" to distinguish
between men who would or
wouldn't rape.
Furthermore, The Record has
an impassioned plea for a last
minute sale of the anti
apartheid posters since "rumor
has it" that the Executive suite
..... ■ . »
Oregon Daily
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would be cleansed of some of
the politically “correct” art
we've suffered for years.
Should anyone really be
surprised?
Ask laiura Romano. Adam
Apalategui and Jim Randall
who suffered vicious smears
from the SPA for deviating from
ideological purity.
As SPA ideology degenerates
into the politics of special
interest corruption, the SPA
will continue to use intimida
tion and harassment to enforce
party discipline.
This will lead to more bizarre
SPA propaganda and more
ideological defectors.
Andrew Beckwith
Graduate, physics
In-bom quality
Recent letters have presented
the argument that homosexuali
ty is not a natural, in born quali
ty. I disagree.
Homosexuality runs in
families! I have many friends
who could vouch for this, but in
my case, for example, we are
five for five. Like me, my four
sisters and brothers are gay and
my parents are very an
drogynous people.
When science becomes
sophisticated enough to
measure extremely complex
hormonal balances between
estrogen, progesterone and
testosterone, we will be able to
prove this special difference.
It's true that a gay person can
live a heterosexual lifestyle just
the way a naturally left-handed
person can be forced to live a
right-handed lifestyle.
But society has come to
recognize that trying to change
Letters Policy
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left-handedness was oppressive
and damaging. I hope society
will soon realize the same thing
about trying to change the
natural quality of
homosexuality.
The genetic basis for gay peo
ple’s androgyny is not deter
mined by one single gene, but
by many interacting genes, as
with the genetic basis for
intelligence.
All women and men have the
potential, through genetic
recombination, to produce a gay
child. If the mother is very
estrogen-laden ("macho") thore
will be less than a 10 percent
probability that their child is
gay. white if both parents are
androgynous, the probability
will be greater than 10 percent
The delicate hormonal
balance underlying homosex
uality is cherished by nature
and will always come back,
generation after generation, ac
cording to a 10 percent
probability.
I.aura Desert rain. Ph.D.
Kugene
Housing woes
As a currant dormitory resi
dent, I would like to take this
opportunity to thank the hous
ing department for its efficient
and neutral housing selection
policy.
After waiting 26 hours to
choose a room, it was a blessing
to start the selection process at
5:30 instead of the specified 5.
To compound my delight,
however, was the lack of
responsible and knowledgeable
housing personnel.
No one knew exactly what the
proper procedures were, or how
to implement them. Not only
did they segregate the returning
residents by desired huusing
complex, but neglected to pro
cess the line in the honored and
equitable first-come, first
served basis.
In the future. I must consider
the terms housing department
and efficient mutually
exclusi'
Kurt Heppler
Political science