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What happens when women speak up against harassment in scientific institutions? The latest in a long string of retaliation stories, Dr. BethAnn McLaughlin @McLNeuro may lose her job on Feb 28, absent a last-minute reprieve from Vanderbilt University sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/n…
This week, we wrote a letter to @NicholasZeppos showing our support for @McLNeuro #metooSTEM founder, MIT Disobedience Awardee, slayer of the Rate My Professor chili pepper, advocate for safety in science, teller of uncomfortable truths, and accountability bloodhound. 
We and thousands of others support Dr. McLaughlin as a scientist but also as a spokeswoman against harassment and assault in science #metooSTEM
change.org/p/vanderbilt-d…
change.org/p/vanderbilt-d…
In our letter, we asked Chancellor Zeppos to support Dr. McLaughlin’s pursuit of science and activism and intervene to uphold Dr. McLaughlin’s tenure.
Dr. McLaughlin’s research and scientific accomplishments warrant tenure and doing anything else signals that Vanderbilt University does not care about campus safety.
news.vanderbilt.edu/2018/03/01/wha…
news.vanderbilt.edu/2018/03/01/wha…
Chancellor Zeppos, we would love to see you live up to your own words: “We have to do more than just acknowledge the persistent power of structural, economic and cultural barriers to women’s advancement across and within workplaces. We have to commit to remove those barriers”
You said “Let me be unambiguously clear—sexual harassment and sexual assault will never be tolerated at Vanderbilt. Student, faculty and staff safety is of paramount importance. There is no place for violence, bias or discrimination of any form” It is time to act on these ideals.
Upholding Dr. McLaughlin’s tenure would be a great first step towards sending a strong message that those sentiments are more than words and that reporting sexual misconduct will not be met with institutional retaliation.
Following all the public attention and scrutiny, @VanderbiltU issued a defensive statement and placed the blame on the faculty, hiding behind institutional procedures and shared governance news.vanderbilt.edu/statement/stat…
But that doesn’t jive with the fact that department faculty initially voted to uphold Dr. McLaughlin’s tenure, which was revoked as a result of the actions from the Dean and executive committee
All assurances that Vanderbilt values diversity and inclusion and does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination ring hollow at best and gaslighting at worst.
This is not the first time Vanderbilt has failed to support Dr. McLaughlin
The work Dr. McLaughlin has done to make STEM more safe and equitable cannot be overstated.
That she did all of this while facing barriers and backlash on multiple fronts is a testament to what she could have been accomplishing scientifically, if she did not first have to advocate for a safer working environment. vanderbilthustler.com/campus/metoo-s…
Chancellor Zeppos’ response to us 500 Women Scientists also fell incredibly short...
Chancellor Zeppos’s does not appear to have the capacity or willingness to engage with Dr. McLaughlin or with the #womeninSTEM community
While the public is focused on @McLNeuro, there is a lot of to unpack in how Vanderbilt handles cases of harassment. For example, how can @GallivantLab’s promotion at Vanderbilt despite multiple instances of harassment and inappropriate behavior be explained?
That’s a stark contrast to what is happening to Dr. McLaughlin, who is fighting for her job.
The message from Vanderbilt is clear - reporting harassment or discrimination will likely lead to retribution and Vanderbilt, like many other scientific institutions, is not a safe space for women.
We are appalled at the unfair treatment of Dr. McLaughlin but sadly, we are not surprised to see an institution like Vanderbilt double-down to protect harassers and the status quo rather than the safety of students, faculty, and staff.
blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/when-it…
blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/when-it…
But we are immensely inspired by @McLNeuro,and #metooSTEM and we are rising up. We will not allow these cases to be swept under the rug and we will not be silent! Women in STEM and our allies are watching. insidehighered.com/news/2019/02/2…
