Al Franken and Female Progression

Along with many of us, in the wake of Jane Mayer’s New Yorker article, I’ve been troubled anew by the case of Al Franken.

Here’s what happened. Al Franken was accused of sexual misconduct, denied due process and forced to resign his Senate seat by powerful colleagues intent on other agendas. As Mayer's well-researched piece lays bare, these career-ending actions hinged on a flimsy charge leveled by a right-wing media personality who had her own fish to fry.

We #MeToo warriors do our cause a great disservice when we fail to promote due process and fail to distinguish between sexual assault and mild forms of sexual harassment.

Towards the end of her article Mayer quotes Debra Katz (the lawyer who represented Christine Blasey Ford) as saying "All offensive behavior should be addressed, but not all offensive behavior warrants the most severe sanction ... to treat all allegations the same is not only inappropriate ... it feeds into a backlash narrative that men are vulnerable to even frivolous allegations by women."

Which is why a great many male managers and executives are increasingly skittish about mentoring or sponsoring women.  Data showcased in my new book The Sponsor Effect demonstrates that 40% of professionals (men and women with no significant difference between the genders) believe that the MeToo movement has made it less likely that a male leader will sponsor women. All of which is bad news for female progression. 

Due process and proportionality of response are critical if #MeToo is to enhance the life chances of women.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/29/the-case-of-al-franken