PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 3, 2018 — The #MeToo movement has brought to the forefront what, for years, has been shoved aside or ignored. Victims are sharing their stories and reshaping the way society discusses and addresses accusations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and sexual misconduct.

Two experts from Temple University’s Fox School of Business are available for interviews related to these polarizing topics.

Leora Eisenstadt, JD, LLM, is an assistant professor of Legal Studies in Business at Temple’s Fox School of Business. Her research delves into employment and employment discrimination; workplace culture; and the associated risks that accompany an employee’s complaints about discriminatory comments or behavior.

Said Eisenstadt: “Currently, we are seeing that the law works against the victims. Individuals who complain about discrimination and harassment often face retaliation for coming forward. Retaliation can be overt — terminations, demotions, and the like — or it can involve more-subtle, but still-harmful actions like transfers, denials of professional opportunity, or undeniable feelings of being iced out by supervisors or co-workers. And two court-created doctrines, in particular, serve to embolden retaliators and inhibit employees’ willingness to come forward.” 

Debra Casey, JD, PhD, is an assistant professor of Human Resource Management at Temple’s Fox School of Business. Casey is a former labor and employment law attorney with a doctorate in industrial relations and human resource management. She is an expert in workplace conflict, employment laws, and dispute resolution. She can speak extensively on sexual harassment, workplace relationships, and organizational mechanisms involving employee voices.

Said Casey: “Employees need to feel secure and valued in the workplace. Unfortunately, the power imbalances inherent in organizational hierarchies create opportunities for interpersonal abuses of that power in a number of ways — sexual harassment being just one of them. Well-managed organizations recognize that and take steps to encourage employee voice and a culture of safety and trust. Over the years, we have learned a lot about how to do that. A company can either implement those voice mechanisms or face the legal and ethical consequences.”

To schedule an interview, contact Christopher A. Vito, associate director of communications and media relations, at 215-204-4115 or [email protected].