Our view: Troubling questions persist in wake of UMD probe

L B.
Duluth, MN     11/06/2009 11:54 AM

A couple years ago there was a group, whose leaders are staff members at UMD, called "We Are Watching". They were watching another public entity deal with a sexual harrassment issue. What is their response to this issue at their own workplace? Are they watching now?

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Sue J.
Duluth, MN     11/06/2009 11:52 AM

He should be fired. This should not be taken lightly. UMD deserves a lawsuit if they don't get rid of him.

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Joe J.
Duluth, MN     11/06/2009 11:44 AM

Yawn......he's a jerk and full of himself, and a couple of people overreacted because of it. He flirted etc., etc, grow up and move on! I haven't heard of any more serious accusations so apparently it didn't go beyond the flirting garbage. Don't you think he's learned his lesson from being dragged around in the media.

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R S.
Cloquet, MN     11/06/2009 11:29 AM

Regardless of anything else, no man will EVER understand sexual harassment until they have spent a full 24 hours as a woman. Female on male sexual harassment does happen, but not anywhere near the amount that male on female does. If men like BillJ had a little more compassion, maybe more women would come forward and more abuse would be stopped.

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Connie N.
Duluth, MN     11/06/2009 11:09 AM

Dennis H. - if you think those are compliments, I hope you stay in South Carolina and not come back to Duluth

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DM A.
Duluth, MN     11/06/2009 11:06 AM

This society is being whipsawed between two ethics: First, ANYTHING goes, you must NOT judge. Second, NOTHING goes and you are a pig if you DON'T judge. No one can ever know which ethic is in force at any moment.

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Kimberly M.
Duluth, MN     11/06/2009 11:01 AM

Bill J.-- If someone hurts my feelings, I will get over it. I will do whatever I need to do to forget about the situation or resolve the situation or just move on. Being sexually harrassed is NOT the same thing. Having someone make unwanted sexual advances doesn't hurt my feelings. It violates me. It's not only uncomfortable, it's physically dangerous. It cannot and will not be tolerated. Reporting it is appropriate and the only correct thing to do. I hope your daughter never has a gym teacher try to hit up on her. And if that does happen, I hope you don't tell her to "get over it." Predators need to be stopped.

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Ceilie b.
Duluth, MN     11/06/2009 10:54 AM

Years ago, working at another university, I complained to the EEOC/HR person about a male employee that was making comments similiar in facts that this story is referencing. We were not instructor-student in status, we were administratve peers. Following my complaint, 9 other women in our building came forward, some before my complaint, some after. We all basically, made the same statements about his comments or behavior. We were part of what we referred to as his "predatory" style, This never hit the newspaper and it was in a city much larger than little old Duluth. He was not fired, he was suspended with pay following further investigation. and had a few seminars to attend,,,,,gag! Well, low and behold, the harrassing peer employee was meeting students, after hours, during Winter Breaks, Spring Breaks, in his office, accessible only by key car entry. They tracked the key card entry and he never once showed any computer activity on those occasions, Turns out he was promising the female students more financial aid in their portfolios for "friendship and hand-holding" while approaching his fellow female employees on the work hours, He was eventually terminated . To believe this is a witch hunt or that this man is "just being himself" in an environment where he is not concerned about his personal behavior as a professional at all times is unbelievable. By the way, this is not a vendetta, it happened and was reported to the proper channels.The publicity only allows people to realize that this is a problem that will never go away as long as we validate this behavior by tolerating it. To any man that has written the vitriol referring to us as some whining female, I am glad you are not a Dean or Chancellor in a university where your daughter or wife or girlfriend or sister attends. Shame on UMD for shoring up their commitment to female students or employees by doing a written reprimand and a seminar. Now there's a slap on the hand and mommy telling you "don't do that again". The challenge is to be strong enough to right your wrong without the expense of further degredation to the university-sytem wide, let alone a lawsuit, which would cost a lost more than embarrassment.

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Tom K.
Duluth, MN     11/06/2009 10:40 AM

i've heard a few complaints from women that i know who have been friends of rod's... i completely believe everything those young women said. his ego matches his mouth BIG and he shouldn't walk away with this type of behavior.

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Gabriel G.
Superior, WI     11/06/2009 10:39 AM

I don't understand how someone with this on their record can still have employement when African Americans at the college get terminated for no reason at all, made up stories or just because they are not liked by administration and then this guy (nice as he is) get's to keep his job in light of this situation. Fairness it is not. Do unto one as you do to the other! DON'T SHOW FAVORTISIM!!

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