Sexual Harassment Vignettes
International Graduate Students – Fulbright Program
By Lynn Lammers
7.11.2011
©Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, Michigan State University
Learning Objectives
Following the sexual harassment training, participants will be able to…
Articulate how sexual harassment is defined in the United States.
Identify some of the ways in which cultural norms around dating and flirting in the United States differ from their home country’s cultural norms.
Recognize various behaviors that constitute sexual harassment.
***incomplete objectives…..
Case Study #1 – Bob & Mary
MaryHi Dr.Smith. Here’s my paper.
Bob Thanks Mary. Please, call me Bob.
Mary Oh. Ok. Bob.
Bob Your last paper was really excellent. Great thesis.
Mary Thank you. I don’t think I would have come to that thesis if it hadn’t been for your lecture on the French colonial rule of Vietnam. That lecture was so exciting for me.
Bob Well, I like to hear that I’m exciting a student!
Mary I mean, it connected a lot of dots for me in terms of looking at the role of Catholicism in French Inperialism.
Bob Have any of my other lectures excited you?
Mary (starting to feel uncomfortable) Oh, well, they’re all good…
Bob You’re interested in the professoriat somewhere down the line, right? Let me take you out to dinner and spell out the finer points of putting together a good lecture.
Mary Oh, I don’t know…I mean, I’m not sure…
Bob Oh, come on. I’m sure I can find lots of ways to get you excited.
Mary Dr. Smith, I…
Bob Hey, if you do me this one favor of having dinner with me, I’ll do you a favor and see if we can’t get some of this great work of yours published…I’m personal friends with a guy that’s on the editorial board of a good journal…What do you say?
The End.
Case Study #2 – Frank & Alice
Alice is sitting at her desk, typing something on his computer. Frank enters and puts his hand on her shoulder.
Frank Hey Alice!
Alice (startled) Oh. Hi Frank.
Frank Did I scare you?
Alice Yeah, a little.
Frank Sorry about that. (massaging her shoulders) Relax, breathe. So what are you working on here?
Alice Umm…a grant….
Frank (crouching down to look at her screen, he puts his face right next to hers.) Let me see here. Ah, a renewal for your NIH grant…looks good. (Alice leans away from him.) Hey, now, I don’t bite!
Alice I know.
Frank All right, well, get back to work, young lady. Nose to the grindstone.
Alice I sure will. Bye. (Alice picks up her phone to call her friend Casey.) Casey! Frank came in my office againand touched me. He rubbed my shoulders…..I think he’s trying to hit on me. He comes into my office, like, once a week for no reason and finds some reason to touch me. I don’t know how to interpret it, you know? Do you think he’s hitting on me? Or is that just the way he is?
Case Study #3 – Stacy & John
Stacy and John sit facing DS, with the narrator standing between them. They both have their phones out, texting.
Narrator This is Stacy and this is John. They are both graduate students. They have a lot of classes together and see each other often at departmental functions. Last year, they dated for a while, but John broke it off months ago. Stacy can’t seem to let him go…
Stacy (texting) What are you doing tonight?
John (texting) Writing a paper.
Stacy (texting) Why don’t you come over to my place to write it?
John (texting) Stacy, I’ve told you. We’re done. It’s over.
Stacy (texting) But I love you. Don’t you still love me?
John (texting) We’ve had this conversation over and over again. Let it go.
Narrator The next day, John finds a note from Stacy in his mailbox in the department office.
Stacy (Writing as John reads.) John, I know that we fought last summer, but that doesn’t mean we’re not right for each other. We need to talk. I love you. I’m not going to stop until you at least talk to me. Do you want to go get coffee with me after class today?
Narrator Later that day, John skips class to avoid seeing Stacy. Stacy texts him.
Stacy (texting) Why weren’t you in class today?
John (texting) Avoiding you.
Stacy (texting) That hurts. I told you, I’m not going to give up on us until we talk.
Narrator It seems that nothing John says will stop Stacy. She sends him a few sexually suggestive photos through email as a tactic to get his attention. John opens the emails in the graduate computer lab, not knowing what the contents would be, and is incredibly embarrassed when several other grad students see the photos. John is stressed out. His graduate work starts to suffer. But what can he do?
Case Study #4 – Michelle & Vince
Narrator Meet Michelle and Vince. Michelle is an undergraduate student who is taking Vince’s Intro to film class. Vince is preparing for class to start, and Michelle shows up early.
Michelle Hi.
Vince Hi Michelle, you’re certainly early for class.
Michelle Yeah, I had an early lunch. Where were you last week?
Vince Oh, yes, sorry I wasn’t here. I had an emergency with my dog.
Michelle Oh no!! Is he ok?
Vince She’s a she, and yes, she’s ok now. I though she consumed some rat poison I had under the sink.
Michelle Oh, you poor dear. You must have been so worried.
Vince I was. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw her chewing on the box. I scooped her up and put her in the car right away.
Michelle That’s so sweet! I love dogs. What kind is she?
Vince German Shepard.
Michelle Oh, wow. That’s a big dog! You picked her up all by yourself?
Vince Yes.
Michelle You must be strong, you must lift weights. That’s a heavy dog.
Vince It was probably just an adrenaline rush. Because I was so worried.
Michelle True. Anyway, I’m glad she’s ok.
Narrator Michelle takes a seat, other students trail in, and Vince begins class. When class is over, and Vince gets home, he sends an email to Michelle.
Vince is typing at a computer, Michelle is reading at a computer.
Vince Hi Michelle. You are the sweetest, loveliest woman I know. Every time I see you in class, my eyes light up just at the sight of you. When we talk, I feel like you understand me, and I can sense our chemistry. The semester is almost over anyway, so it’s about time we just make it official. I know we shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself. I can’t wait!!! Let’s have dinner tomorrow. I’m willing to take things slow, but I feel like it’s gone unspoken too long. I want you. I know you want me too. Email me back. I can’t wait to hear from you.
Narrator Michelle is appalled to read this email. She has no attraction to her teacher whatsoever, and had no idea he felt this way. This email comes as a complete shock. Her conversation was only meant to be friendly. What went wrong here?
1