Harvard Professor Kimberly Theidon stuck her neck out to help victims of sexual abuse who were denied proper support from the college. But for doing this advocacy work, Theidon says she was denied tenure and will lose her job.
In her complaint to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Theidon recounts her work with sexual assault victims, which included speaking out publicly and providing assistance to those who not only suffered severe truama from sexual abuse, but also harassment from the school for complaining about it.
Even though the university claims it “would never base a tenure decision on a faculty member's advocacy for students,” Theidon says she was repeatedly told to “look the other way,” and be the “dutiful daughter,” when it came to the complaints over sexual abuse.
It’s not just about her, says Theidon. Along with sexual abuse victims, other female faculty members are “just as vulnerable” to this kind of retaliation.
Harvard should be severely reprimanded for its attacks on those who advocate for sexual abuse victims! Tell the university not to deny tenure to Professor Theidon!
