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01/04/2024
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Sexual Harassment in the Cultural Sector: Defining and Upholding Due Process
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Photo: Dean Kaufman
*On March 12 and 13, 2018, the New Museum organized four workshops on sexual harassment for cultural workers. Read some of the takeaways. *
In light of recent, widespread allegations of sexual misconduct in every sector, the New Museum is organizing a series of four workshops in order to provide tools, support, and guidance for both leaders and workers in the arts to combat sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Arts workers of all genders are encouraged to attend. Each session will start with a twenty-minute introduction followed by an interactive workshop. Sessions are limited to 100 participants. Each session is $5 to attend. The workshops are organized by Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis Director, with Johanna Burton, Keith Haring Director and Curator of Education and Public Engagement; Margot Norton, Curator; and Karen Wong, Deputy Director.
Workshop 2
Defining and Upholding Due Process
Join Laurie Ruettimann, a twenty-year HR veteran and consultant on gender equality in sexual harassment cases, and Kate Bischoff, an employment law attorney and HR consultant, for a workshop that addresses due process as it pertains to both those claiming sexual harassment and those accused of it. The evening will provide tools and clear protocols for how complaints and violations are most efficiently and fairly addressed, considering the protection of employees who file complaints, the role of bystanders in intervening, and employer rights and responsibilities in these cases. In addition, we will consider how the idea of “innocent until proven guilty” operates in today’s climate. Situating the #MeToo era within a longer history in the fight for equal opportunity, the workshop will also discuss the passage and implementation of Title IX in 1972, the rise of workplace sexual harassment and diversity trainings in the 1980s and ’90s, and the increasing use of arbitration and non-disclosure agreements to address violations over the last decade.
With more than two decades of Human Resources experience in Fortune 500 organizations, Laurie Ruettimann has written extensively about how employers and employees can handle sexual misconduct. In addition to creating Punk Rock HR, which was recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 100 Blogs for Women, Ruettimann cofounded several HR start-ups including New Media Services LLC and HRM Today, the first social network for HR professionals. Her advice has been featured in various publications such as the New York Times, US News & World Report, CFO Magazine, Shape, Men’s Health, Vox, NPR, and others.
Kate Bischoff is a management-side employment attorney and SHRM-SCP/SPHR-certified HR pro. She has worked as the Human Resources Officer for the US Consulate General, Jerusalem, and the US Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia. As a lawyer, she’s practiced all sorts of employment law, including discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour cases. She works closely with management and HR folks to improve organizations and make it easier to recruit and retain talent through easy-to-understand policies, easy-to-use technology, and easy-to-explain compliance initiatives.
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