As a young man, I looked up to Richard Feiock. He taught public policy at Florida State University. He seemed to have it together, a recovering musician and a driven quant. Rick eventually became the journal editor of Public Administration Review (PAR).
Rick always had rumors about him - particularly about being too close to female students - uncomfortably close.
I never witnessed anything that made me suspicious. To me, Rick was on the up & up.
Twenty years passed.
A harassed student dumped emails - the rumors were substantiated - a scandal ensued - Rick retired from public life - the public policy faculty issued a public apology - FSU offered a weak public response - I don't know what happened to the students.
Rick was never prosecuted or admitted fault to the best of my knowledge.
To be clear, Rick was not the victim of a witch hunt - FSU has admitted problems happened - the story has been told & retold in the Florida press (see https://lnkd.in/gGnginDc).
I've processed Rick's story for a year.
I wonder, if 20+ years ago, when I heard the rumors, if I could have done something more.
I don't think anyone would have listened to a student back then.
Based on the recent news reports, I'm sure I'm right, but I would sleep better if I reported the rumors.
When I learned about what happened at FSU, I re-committed myself to supporting positive social change & speaking up to support a more inclusive, equitable academia.
So, today, I came across a great article published by scholars in Rick's field who graduated from FSU. They don't name Rick - but you can connect dots.
I am writing to amplify their message.
The authors describe "an unbalanced student-professor power dynamic, exploited student vulnerabilities, & a lack of effective checks & balances nurture an environment that lets misconduct proliferate. Perpetrators are shielded by institutional protections & loopholes designed to protect universities from liability."
It's not a good look for FSU - nor broader academe - because many institutions share similar problems.
The authors explain that an underground network designed to protect women emerged. Based on their lived experiences, they offer solid prescriptions that span fields to protect students & faculty from sexual harassment.
The authors' diagnosis & the solutions feel spot on. Their words deserve more attention than I can present in a short LinkedIn post.
I encourage all of you to read it.
I applaud the authors.
I am troubled because it is clear there remains much to be done to create a climate where people feel safe speaking up about sexual misconduct in academe.
Please share the post, share the article; it's time for a change.
We must roll up our sleeves & get to work.
The article is here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15236803.2021.1877983
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jason-thatcher-0329764_erased-why-faculty-sexual-misconduct-is-activity-6901704246106963968-6h-C?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web
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