Matt Lauer Fired due to Inappropriate Sexual Behavior. Has This Happened to You?

MiladyMalarkey, ASN, BSN · Nov 29, 2017

The sad truth is I believe nearly all women have been sexually harassed, demeaned or assaulted in some form or another. Personally I've experienced all of the above. A few instances occurred at work, most outside of work. Men experience this as well, just believe women do at a higher frequency.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Nov 29, 2017

I've only ever been sexually harassed by patients at work (there have been other times, but at work it was only patients and not coworkers). As sexual harassment goes, it was not as bad as others' experiences and did not escalate beyond verbal.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Nov 29, 2017

I personally don't know many women who *haven't* been sexually harassed/assaulted. I certainly have been. It was almost a rite of passage, and we put up with it as a cost of living and working back then. It's about time people get called out on this type of behavior!

Collor · Nov 29, 2017

There was a resident that was working at my hospital (circa 1999). He came into a clean utility room that I was in and tried to kiss me! Yuk! I pushed him away..and walked out the door. I never reported him. I found out a few years later that he took a female co-worker out to dinner. She said yes to dinner because he was persistent and thought, "what the heck, dinner can't be too bad". Well he was driving her home and at EVERY red traffic light, he would grab her leg and try to fondle her! In addition to grabbing her head and forcing his disgusting tongue in her mouth. She jumped out the car in the middle of NYC and took a bus home! He really thought if he was persistent, the ladies would just sit back and enjoy his advances. Over the years I have heard more stories of his ridiculous behavior. This dude is a practicing doctor somewhere!!

SimonJester · Nov 29, 2017

I'm not in nursing, I am male and have been sexually harassed by both female and males in the workplace back in the 90s. Then and perhaps now it's not something a male can goto HR or complain about because you would not be taken seriously and or you would be looked down upon for complaining about it. It's very much a double standard that is not fair.

My wife (a nurse) has been what I would deem sexually harassed (verbal comments, body part grabbing) at work by patients as well as physically assaulted. Management blows this off as well...

She has been verbally and physically assaulted in the workplace by co workers as well. One issue could have involved police and pressed charges but if she had gone that way it would have ended her career.

Daisy Joyce · Nov 30, 2017

Why is anybody surprised that people try to get away with bad behavior...simply because they can?

Rather than clutching our pearls, we should be teaching our children how to set and enforce boundaries.

We should be teaching our children that the casting couch is not an acceptable way to move up the career ladder.

We should be teaching our children that sex is beautiful and private and not to be used as a tool in a power game.

*gets off soapbox and waits for next scandal to come down the pipeline*

emmjayy, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2017

I've never been sexually harassed in the workplace. It's been a lucky combo of working for great people and having good boundaries/being able to advocate for myself.

AutumnApple · Nov 30, 2017

Very important detail that I feel needs brought up here:

He was fired for inappropriate behavior. While sexual harassment would fall under this umbrella statement, many other things do too. As the video states, details have not been released and, he violated company standards. It doesn't say rape, harassment or anything lewd went on.

I'm getting the impression that this was not harassment, but something consensual that violated company policies regarding employees dating each other et etc.....

Lots of companies have policies stating employees shall not date, and/or if they do they must make their relation known to their superiors (to avoid conflict of interest). These rules may give an impression of being too "big broher" ish, but are mostly in place to keep authorities from using their power to coax people working under them into relations of any kind other than a professional one (friendly, dating, sexual). These policies also are meant to block employees from seeking favoritism from people in authority.

As far as the overall question goes: Has this happened to you? Not directly to me, but yes, I've seen managers get too friendly with staff (consensual) and administration steps in. It's a bit too common actually, from my point of view.

3ringnursing, BSN · Nov 30, 2017

I worked at an unnamed facility in 2002 - I worked in the ICU at the time and had a CNA come up behind me one day while I was titrating vasopressors and squeezed my breast out if the blue. I couldn't have been more shocked even if he had spit in my face instead.

Apparently this particular man had been there since God wore knee pants, and he had also been doing this for years and years. None of the other woman had reported it, but spoke amongst themselves.

I reported it.

He wasn't fired - he was instead moved to stepdown 200 yards down the hall where I ran into him daily. In fact, I ran into him all over the hospital: elevators, on the grounds, parking lot, cafeteria ...

A click of nurses on the unit were angry that I "got him in trouble" (I believe he did that all on his own) and I was ostracized by this group. It was awful.

The union got involved - made all sorts of promises, but administration eventually told them to cease and desist ... they did. Because of the type of facility it was there was no was no winning.

He continued working until retirement. I left disgusted.

Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2017

The important thing to keep in mind here is we are witnessing a paradigm shift. I've never sent out mixed signals, had "issues with boundaries" or "self advocacy". Also, I had zero desire to commit career suicide.

If I had a dollar for every instance of harassment/inappropriate behavior I endured (large, small, sexually aggressive, occasionally outright hostile at times, overt, covert, in nursing & non-nursing areas), I could charter a very large jet with lots of seats, invite the AN faithful for an all expenses paid trip for a solid week somewhere amazing (think warm, beaches, great food & drink & music) to discuss our shared visions and hope for the future!

I'm getting older, but the badness started in 1st grade when a certain second grader thought it was okay to not only pull my hair but also tried to kiss me. The explanation - that's just what boys do. My mom wasnt having any of that crap. I wished I had hit him. I remember not wanting to get in trouble. Big mistake, as the dude smiled at me for the next 10 years - if I had just blacked his eye, oh who am I kidding, he prolly would have then asked me to marry him once he was in high school!

:angel:

allnurses Guide · Nov 30, 2017

I guess I've been kinda lucky. The only thing I've really endured in the

workplace... I was 21 and working at this large, busy convenience store

in Louisville. I was one of about 3-4 young girls working there. There was

also this creepy older guy who worked there, I guess he was in his 50's

maybe. He would make comments towards me and the other girls

all of the time. He would stare. He was just plain creepy. One

day he tried to kiss this 18 year old girl who worked there, and

that was it, he was fired.

Other than that, I haven't dealt with it much in the workplace.

In my personal life... that's another matter.