kitties kitties everywhere...: April 2009

this evening i received 3 emails in rapid succession:

first,

> Hey Everyone,
>
> As we begin to approach the warmer weather, please
> remember to continue to dress appropriately for your
> site. Students, teachers, and office workers at
> your sites all have dress codes, and it is important
> to stay close to these standards even if you aren't
> within them. Avoid flip-flops, super-low or hole
> filled jeans, shorts (unless they are worn by
> students in your school), tank tops and exposed
> chests or midriff, as well as anything else that you
> might deem inappropriate. If you are a distraction
> in your workplace, you diminish your effectiveness
> there and reflect poorly on NSP. As college
> students, you should understand what is or is not
> appropriate and be conscious of how what you are
> wearing reflects back on you and is perceived by
> others. This is e-mail is not intended to chastise
> anyone, but is rather just a friendly reminder to
> nip anything untoward in the bud.
>
> If you have particular questions or concerns, feel
> free to e-mail me back,

then...

Dear All,

I would like to add to this email, especially for the women on
this list, that contrary to C's position if you are
sexually harassed in the workplace (and those of us working in
high schools or middle schools may have had all too much
experience with this) it is NOT your fault. The discourse
surrounding sexual harassment and blaming women for it needs
to be changed. It is inappropriate to condemn women for
"distracting" people in the class room-- rather, sexual
harassment and those who do it should not be tolerated.
Furthermore, if you are sexually harassed in the workplace,
although NSP may find this to be an embarrassment, I just want
to validate all those who have been in this position with a
little solidarity.

I sincerely hope that C's email does not indicate NSP's
real policy on how to respond to sexual harassment. Blaming
the victim in this way is both oppressive and illegal.

I would appreciate it if NSP clarified to its employees how
they should respond to sexual harassment, with an email of
NSP's procedure for sexual harassment and their policy.

All best,

and finally...

Hello Everyone,

In response to the discussion I seem to have generated, there is a need to clarify. This was not a gendered discussion, but rather a reminder about situational appropriateness. The clothes that someone would wear to the gym or out on the weekend with friends are often inappropriate for a school or office. When one sticks out, especially in an institutional setting, one creates a distraction, and it is this 'distraction by abnormality' which we are trying to avoid. This applies to shorts, hats, and tank-tops as much as it would to a suit or formal gown. When moving from situation to situation, such as from class to school or the gym to an office, it is important to be mindful that one is shifting to a situation in which expectations are different.

As to sexual harassment, this is a serious matter and one that was not addressed in the original e-mail. Sexual harassment, or even discomfort that one may or may not think is harassment, should be shared with superiors, both with your supervisor(s) at the site at which you work and at NSP. If it is the site with which you are having problems, we would hope you would come to us directly, and quickly. Regardless of how you handle the situation, we would still want to know what is happening with you and have the opportunity to be supportive of you. You should never go through troubling times alone, and we want to be there for you in any way you are comfortable.

If anyone has any further concerns, please feel free to let me know and open up a dialogue.

Sincerely,

right guys, glad we cleared that up.