Excelle

Last week, late night talk show host David Letterman revealed he'd had sex with female employees. According to Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, the company's sexual harassment policy does not prohibit sexual relationships between managers and employees. But media pundits have argued that his affairs did create an unfair work environment.



What do you think? Is David Letterman guilty of sexual harassment? Take the poll and join the conversation!

 

I totally think this is sexual harassment at least in that his actions made the work environment unfair -- both to the girls he was sleeping with and others within the department. This kind of behavior puts everyone at risk, including the company. It screws up loyalties and priorities.

Imgaine if you worked in the same department as one of the women he was having an affair with, wouldn't you feel like she had an unfair advantage over you? And likewise, the women sleeping with him might suffer some kind of backlash from him if they decided to end the relationship, or backlash from others in the department. This is such a messy situation and even if the company allowed it, they shouldn't have. Sexual Harasssment!!!!

I agree with Lizz -- it was a stupid thing to do but if he wasn't forcing them to do it, it's not really sexual harassment. But it does create a hostile work environment in that it's unfair and puts everyone in a weird position, even him!

So on one hand, you have grown women who made an adult decision to have a relationship with their boss. On the other, there's a power imbalance because he *is* their boss. It was Letterman's responsibility, both as a boss and a husband, not to engage in this behavior. By the very definition of the term, he created a hostile workplace which could very well translate as harassment.

On another note: if this were a man who was *not* a famous, likeable entertainer, I very seriously doubt many would be rushing to his defense. It's a bit of the Polanski syndrome.

If this is called sexual harrassment then almost every work place is a suspect of this. This concept of "bosses sleeping with subordinates" is not a new concept. It happens all the time. They are all adults and know what they are doing.

Harassment is not used to get ahead in the workplace, it's used to keep people down in the workplace.

Gina_82 says ...

I totally think this is sexual harassment at least in that his actions made the work environment unfair -- both to the girls he was sleeping with and others within the department. This kind of behavior puts everyone at risk, including the company. It screws up loyalties and priorities.

Imgaine if you worked in the same department as one of the women he was having an affair with, wouldn't you feel like she had an unfair advantage over you? And likewise, the women sleeping with him might suffer some kind of backlash from him if they decided to end the relationship, or backlash from others in the department. This is such a messy situation and even if the company allowed it, they shouldn't have. Sexual Harasssment!!!!

Exactly!! 

LizzJ79 says ...

He may have created a "hostile" working environmnet but is not quilty of sexual harassment. That would imply it was unwarranted and it appears it was not.

Now the real question is was he immoral ? Of course, he was in a committed relationship unless they have an open one, who knows. However, I don't think that mixing pleasure at work ever ends up in a good way.

Ditto

"Don't let your ______ rule your life."

mybliss says ...

We don't know enough to determine whether Letterman was guilty of sexual harrassment. Was he tying these relationships to raises, promotions or other work-related rewards? Were any of these women poor employees who only kept their jobs because they hooked up with Dave? If everyone kept their private lives and work lives seperate than it wasn't sexual harrassment, but that can often be difficult.

I agree - We do not know enough specifics to truly label this sexual harrassment. Also, if it was not for the extortion and him coming out about it, we would not even know, right? - Did any of the other uninvolved employees even know what was going on before Dave came out with it? Was there unfairness or special treatment? How were these women treated at work? Were they rewarded? Were they held back? This is all he said, she said and no one will ever really know.

Also, how did the CBS extortionist even know about the affairs? Did one of these women get paid to have sex with Dave in order to put him in the position to be blackmailed? Anybody? What do you think?

jforbes says ...

So on one hand, you have grown women who made an adult decision to have a relationship with their boss. On the other, there's a power imbalance because he *is* their boss. It was Letterman's responsibility, both as a boss and a husband, not to engage in this behavior. By the very definition of the term, he created a hostile workplace which could very well translate as harassment.

On another note: if this were a man who was *not* a famous, likeable entertainer, I very seriously doubt many would be rushing to his defense. It's a bit of the Polanski syndrome.

To clarify at the time of the relationships, David Letterman was not married but dating his now wife.The whole discussion is going back and forth amongst columist and writers for all media platforms. The bottom line is women need to think about the consequences of these relationships. Past new stories have shown the backlash of these type of situations. This is not surprising to at all.

I dont really think so, but then who knows what goes on behind closed doors? Been there and done that in very abusive relationships for 10 and 5 years.   I had KIDS with these 2 (husbands) but this man had no pull on these women other than job security they could easily have blackmailed HIM and went elsewhere, ? I just dont really see him as that type but again..who knows ?