Pharmacology Grievance (2018)

A professor of Pharmacology had repeatedly engaged in conduct that created a hostile and offensive work environment for ASEs in the department (particularly women) but had not been subject to any corrective action by the University despite multiple complaints. This included using a slide of a naked man in his class and proclaiming that it represented him in his younger days; stating that Viagra was developing a new drug that would make men like him attractive to younger women, and stating to a group of incoming female graduate students that his pheromones could be working on them during their orientation. He also was reported to have asked a graduate student with a non-western name that they must be on the no-fly list. And, after a circumstance in which a female TA had corrected the professor in front of his class, he screamed and berated her in a TA meeting, towering over her and ordering her to never correct him again in class.

The academic worker union filed a step 2 grievance, wrote an op-ed, and 8 months later settled the grievance as follows:

• Within three days upon filing the grievance, the TA in his class was excused from having the teach with him anymore for the rest of the term and was provided full pay with no loss of status.

• The faculty member was removed from teaching introductory-level classes.

• The faculty member has not ever been assigned graduate Teaching Assistants or Research Assistants again.

• The faculty in the department attended a mandatory training on sexual harassment and hostile working environments.

• The faculty member no longer has lab space in the department.