Aditya Banerjee Week 8

Week 8

Aditya Banerjee

The case, reported in NY Times pertaining to a case of NYU, wherein a PhD student, Mr Reitman filed a complaint against a professor (his adviser) Mrs Ronnell for sexually harassing him. As evidence, he also presented letters and emails, indicating such approach of professor towards him. But, both sides of the story seem to be clashing (not concurrent enough). The University had found Professor responsible for sexual harassment, but freed her from other charges (sexual assault, stalking, retaliation).

Apart from contentions of fact and regarding the specifications of the case, another debate that comes up is “Me too” movement being a feminist tool, is being used by Mr. Reitman to thwart feminism. Me Too movement is a movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault of women. Although, Me Too movement is a socially revolutionising movement against sexual assault and harassment faced by women in different spheres of lives, it cannot be exactly said to be a tool for females in exclusion of cases involving men being recipients of such acts. Looking at it from a more gender-neutral perspective, keeping in mind the larger picture as a fight against Sexual Harassment and Assaults (against humanity-irrespective of the recipient gender), exclusion of men would not do complete justice. If not anywhere near equal, but men are also victims of such acts and it would not be fair to blatantly quash their complaints, without careful adjudication. In arguing so, neither am I in any way demeaning or criticising the object and cause of the movement, nor opposing the feminist advocacy and am in full support of such.