In the slew of sexual assault and harassment allegations that have come out since the breakthrough reporting on Harvery Weinstein’s alleged misdeeds, a number of prominent men in the media have had their careers come to a sudden crash over accusations.
Kevin Spacey was dropped from the hit Netflix series House of Cards due to claims that he groped and harassed several young men. Journalist Charlie Rose was fired from CBS for allegations that he inappropriately touched and exposed himself to women he worked with.
Conservatives are cheering the downfall of celebrities who have arrogantly and for so long derided President Trump, his supporters, and Republicans in general.
But the situation raises questions about the dangers of taking punitive action against men on the basis of allegations alone.
Our laws, after all, presume innocence until the accusers are able to prove guilt in a court of law. Are we circumventing the legal system by allowing individuals’ careers and reputations to be destroyed without a trial?
We’ve already seen sexual allegations take on political significance. President Trump, Senate candidate Roy Moore, and Senator Al Franken are just among the most recent political figures to face accusations.
In each case, the opposing party has used the accusations as grounds to call on the accused’s resignation or withdrawal from their respective election.
In none of those cases has the accused given into the pressure. Instead, President Trump, Judge Moore, and Sen. Franken have called on Americans to give them the benefit of the doubt until allegations are actually backed up by facts.
In the private sector, where people are subject to the whim of their employers, men don’t have that luxury. As we’ve seen, companies would rather cut ties with an accused man rather than wait around to see if the allegations are true or not.
Will the “Weinstein effect” move beyond showbiz and trickle down to the workplace of everyday Americans? What kind of climate will we live in when any and every allegation is taken at face value–and immediately followed with a firing? What happens when the accused men are innocent?
Apparently, some liberals don’t care if guiltless men love their livelihoods and social standing. Here’s what “women’s advocate” Emily Lindin had this to say on the issue.
Here's an unpopular opinion: I'm actually not at all concerned about innocent men losing their jobs over false sexual assault/harassment allegations.
— Emily Lindin (@EmilyLindin) November 21, 2017
National Review Senior Editor rightly pointed out the morally bankrupt nature of Lindin’s tweet.
There’s a reason it’s an unpopular opinion: It’s neither intelligent nor moral. https://t.co/ZohDrMyZt7
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) November 21, 2017
Interestingly, Lindin quickly backtracked when confronted by the possible racial implications of her proposition.
You don't care that innocent men of color are disproportionately accused in colleges, and punished without due process, in ways that ruin their lives? Your feminism is comfortable with blatant racist scape-goating?
— Geoffrey Miller (@primalpoly) November 21, 2017
Thanks for pointing out this nuance. Not at ALL. That is a different, but overlapping issue. I am not talking about students, campuses, educational opportunities. These are powerful men who have benefited from the system and hurt women.
— Emily Lindin (@EmilyLindin) November 21, 2017
Of course, what Lindin fails to address is why we should stop evaluating accusations once a man leaves school? Do your rights end at graduation?
If our institutions give in to Lindin’s line of thinking, male-female workplace dynamics may never be the same.
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