HIS WORD AGAINST WHOSE?
A first-year student at a small college has been having
difficulty in one of her required courses. Worried about the her class
performance and its resulting grades, she and her professor decided
that it would be to her benefit if they meet to discuss class materials
after the scheduled evening lecture. After several meetings, her professor
increasingly asked her about her personal life. Additionally, he made
inappropriate remarks about her appearance and physical attributes.
The student hoped that his behavior would change, but instead it escalated.
Uncomfortable with her professor’s behavior and not
wanting to withdraw from the course, she felt powerless. Unfamiliar
with how the university handles sensitive information and fearful
of negative retribution, she did not lodge a formal complaint. Instead,
she sent an anonymous e-mail to the student newspaper where she was
able to vent her anger and frustration. Her e-mail described the professor’s
unacceptable behavior and, although not naming him, provided enough
information to make his identity readily apparent to the small student
body and faculty.
Discussion Questions
- Unable to verify the information, but with a good idea of the
identity of the professor, the editor has a decision to make.
Would it be acceptable to print the story? Does the editor have
any responsibility to independently verify the contents of the
message? Should the editor seek to identify the student before
printing the e-mail? Would these matters be moot if the newspaper
published the e-mail message as a "letter to the editor"?
- What other method could the student have used to transmit her
complaint? In what ways might they be more or less credible than
her anonymous e-mail?
- Should complaint procedures adopted by organizations, including
universities, include the option to remain anonymous?
- What protections is the professor entitled to? Can he, or anyone,
respond effectively to an anonymous compliant?
This case was prepared by staff at the American
Association for the Advancement of Science as part of a project on
"Anonymous Communications on the Internet: Uses And Abuses"
(see http://www.aaas.org/spp/anon), funded by a grant from the National
Science Foundation. This case may be downloaded and used for educational
purposes.
