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Bullying and harassment are just plain wrong. (Alyson Fox, director of grants, Wellcome Trust)
A top geneticist has lost her funding based on bullying allegations, reports Nature.
The top scientist, Nazneen Rahman, was accused by scientists and staff at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London of bullying behavior. Following the allegations, the ICR commissioned a law firm to carry out an independent investigation. Rather than waiting for a disciplinary hearing, Ms Rahman instead notified the ICR that she would leave after her research grant would be finished come October.
Now the UK biomedical charity which funded Ms Rahman's research has decided to act earlier, and pulled her funding. This, the Wellcome Trust claims, is in line with their new anti-bullying policy. In this, the Trust, as a first in the UK, followed the lead of the US National Science Foundation.
While the NSF's policy focused on sexual harassment, the Trust's policy takes things a bit further.
Their policy defines bullying as a misuse of power that can make people feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened. It says harassment is unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating someone else's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.
It should be noted though that the Trust bases its decision on allegations without having detailed knowledge of these allegations; nor has Ms Rahman been able (or willing) to defend herself against these allegations.
The Trust states that bullying "causes significant harm, stops people achieving their full potential and stifles good research."
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Wednesday August 22 2018, @06:37PM (8 children)
"unwanted non-verbal conduct that has the effect of creating an offensive environment for them."
I've had people tell me that cracking my knuckles is offensive to them. So by this policy, if someone complained about me cracking my knuckles, that would be considered bullying?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 22 2018, @06:42PM (1 child)
Your best bet is to accuse the person next to you of cracking their knuckles first. In fact, if anybody irritates you at all, or if you'd benefit by having somebody go away, accuse them of cracking their knuckles.
Then enjoy cracking your knuckles after everybody is sufficiently afraid of your lobbing another accusation.
Since we don't care about evidence these days, why not?
(Score: 2) by wisnoskij on Thursday August 23 2018, @10:37PM
This. Was recently tangentially involved in an assault incident with multiple witnesses. The assaulter simply filed assault claims against the victims, and turned the whole thing into stalemate.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 22 2018, @06:47PM
Yes, they would be bullying you and these abuses are the problem with "anti-bullying" programs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 22 2018, @07:42PM (1 child)
Yeah I had the same thought. This easily becomes an avenue for abuse.
That said, don't make too much out of it. This is just how societies work. Hopefully the Trust continues to do investigations and doesn't just yank funding based on accusations, and until then there is no reason to cry foul.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 22 2018, @07:48PM
Oh, I was worried when I read
I'm glad to hear that they haven't pulled her funding! I'd hate to see a woman in STEM get the axe over a mere accusation!
I hope they investigate and take into consideration that often incels believe that actions and words that would merely make a man an assertive leader constitute bullying when done/said by a woman.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Bot on Wednesday August 22 2018, @10:24PM
It gets worse than knuckles. For example, unkempt hair can be classified as non-verbal conduct that has the effect creating an intimidating, degrading, environment.
Especially pubic hair, but I digress. It's the victim that by feeling intimidated decides if whatever is bullying or not.
A wonderful tool to enforce newspeak and newthink.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 22 2018, @10:38PM
I find people wearing crucifixes makes my environment hostile and offensive. They are trying to bully me into joining their religion or they'll consider me a heathen sinner.
(Score: 2) by DavePolaschek on Thursday August 23 2018, @01:07PM
Calling someone a broad, now THAT'S offensive! Or so I've been told...