Harassment in the Workplace: Still Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

The past year has seen a tremendous number of allegations of harassment in the United States, mostly sexual in nature, directed toward high ranking officials in numerous industries, especially entertainment and media, and government. The “me too” movement has resulted in personal and public downfall of powerful executives and a pending plethora of lawsuits aimed at these individuals and the organizations with which they were affiliated. The legal tenet of “innocent until proven guilty” seems to have fallen by the wayside during this time and organizations still have the responsibility to uphold this doctrine and fairly investigate allegations of any wrongdoing. This, however, can be easier said than done. This exercise allows participants to better understand workplace harassment and any inherent biases or assumptions they might bring to the table when confronted with allegations of harassment.