The Victims of #MeToo in the Workplace

When the #MeToo movement first exploded onto the scene a few years ago, it seemed like a long overdue reckoning for sexual predators and a victory for victims everywhere. At the time, I was mostly waiting tables, and frankly, I was subjected to more sexual harassment as a waitress than I ever was as a sex worker.

And as a sex worker, I’ve seen my fair share of bad behavior from men, so I am all for holding abusers, or just plain old harmless cretins, accountable. But as time went on, I started to notice a troubling trend in my conversations with men.

The Guilty Until Proven Innocent Mentality

I have one client who is a high-powered Asburgery project manager at a major Silicon Valley tech company. He told me a big part of his job is to mentor young talent, men and women alike.

But post-#MeToo, he confided that he now goes out of his way to avoid one-on-one meetings with female subordinates. He’ll keep his door wide open during meetings or insist on having another colleague present.

All to avoid any hint of impropriety.

And it gets worse. He told me he skipped over a highly qualified female candidate for a project that would have required a lot of late nights and travel. He feared the rumor mill would churn out an affair story, or worse, an accusation of misconduct. So he went with a capable but less accomplished male colleague instead.