Librarian loses 'pretty girl' lawsuit against Harvard

[truthpusher]

Desiree Goodwin said she has no immediate plans to leave Harvard.

Monday, April 4, 2005 Posted: 8:57 PM EDT (0057 GMT)
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Librarian loses 'pretty girl' lawsuit against Harvard
Plaintiff claimed she was seen as merely a 'pretty girl'
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BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Harvard University did not discriminate against a library assistant who claimed she was repeatedly turned down for promotions because school officials saw her as "a pretty girl" whose attire was too "sexy," a federal jury found Monday.

Desiree Goodwin, who is black, also claimed that Harvard passed her over because of her race and gender. She had been seeking damages for emotional distress and lost wages.

(snip)

"Employment at Harvard is based on the specific work skills and work history applicants bring to specific jobs," he said. "We have always believed that to be the case, and today the jury has agreed."

Goodwin, who has worked as a library assistant at Harvard since 1994, claimed in the lawsuit that she had been rejected for seven promotions at the library since 1999.

She said she was shocked when, in late 2001, her supervisor told her she would never be promoted at Harvard. In court documents, Goodwin said her supervisor told her she was "a joke" at the university's main library, where she "was seen merely as a pretty girl who wore sexy outfits, low cut blouses, and tight pants."

complete story: http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/04/librarian.suit.ap/index.html

[Zuni]

1. she shouldn't worry. She isn't all that pretty

:hide:

[Anakin Skywalker]

2. LOL!

You are a cruel, cruel person. :)

[libhill]

3. I thank she is -

Woo-hoo - B e a utifull---

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[libhill]

5. I'd dedicate my life

to her - what a fox!

[Merope215]

6. I'm with you

Of course I'm a woman, but whatever. :P

[Media_Lies_Daily]

19. Real nice comment. I bet you're no prize, either.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. Classy, kids. Real classy.

That "Rule of Law" thing is lookin' worse every day.

--p!

[alarimer]

8. I don't know the details

But it sounds like it might have been a frivolous lawsuit. If she was dressing inappropriately, I can see where she might not have been promoted, especially if she had been warned. Of course I can't imagine a boss telling his employee that she was a "joke". That's a little hurtful even if it is true. Perhaps he was not very diplomatic.

[jdj]

9. she's only 40.

I bet that has more to do with it than anything.

Both my employers at my little junior college library were in their 50's. Maybe in ten more years or so she might have gotten the promotion, I don't know. But if she consistently dressed unprofessionally despite being reprimanded, then that is just plain stupidity.

[libhill]

10. Huh?

She can't be a day over 25 -?

[TheWraith]

13. Wow.

In that case she looks damn good for 40. I'd cheerfully hire her for the local library, except that they don't let me hire people, since I'm merely a patron.

[alarimer]

16. The article is short on specifics

It says that she told the court her supervisor said those things to her but it doesn't quote the supervisor at all. She is turned down for a promotion 7 times and the EEOC dismisses her case. It sounds to me, from the article, that she may not have been a very good employee. I say this not knowing anything else about the case. Perhaps her performance reviews were not very good. It is all speculation on our part of course, not having been there.

[shanti]

11. wait - she's 40 years old???

good genes is all i can say! i thought they were talking about a young girl.

[Porcupine]

12. I need LOTS more pictures to properly evaluate her claim.

:evilgrin:

Especially pics of her in the "unprofessional attire."

[readmoreoften]

14. This hardly sounds frivolous to me

Academia discriminates against women who are not gender neutral. Being a woman with a feminine gender construction is no more inappropriate than being a woman who is agender or even masculine. If her clothing is inappropriate then fire her and see if it holds water. If not, then why should it get in the way of career advancement? How tight are tight pants? How low is low cut? Would a man ever be discriminated against for wearing tight pants. No, he would be seen as eccentric.

As a feminine lesbian academic whose gender is a deep expression of her sense of self and her relationship to her community, I am constantly irritated by academic women who pressure others not to wear make up, etc. This is a remnant of the sort of bad faith second wave feminism that patroled women's bodies in the name of liberation and it stinks to high heaven for me.

[alarimer]

15. Actually it sounds to me like she was looking to blame someone

Other than herself for not getting promoted. Promotions are not guaranteed anywhere.

[blogslut]

17. She's worked there

for over ten years according to the article:

"Goodwin, who has worked as a library assistant at Harvard since 1994, claimed in the lawsuit that she had been rejected for seven promotions at the library since 1999.

She said she was shocked when, in late 2001, her supervisor told her she would never be promoted at Harvard. In court documents, Goodwin said her supervisor told her she was "a joke" at the university's main library, where she "was seen merely as a pretty girl who wore sexy outfits, low cut blouses, and tight pants."

[LostinVA]

18. I work in an academic library

One rated as high -- or higher -- than Harvard's, and I can tell you that both our libraries and Harvard's have many, many women in mid-upper management. As well as many women of color. I can also tell you we have some employees that do their job... just barely. And some of them have been turned down for promotions 7+ times. They aren't great employees. They aren't bad, just not great. So, if you have either an internal or external candidate that is GREAT, they'll get the job. And, librarians are professionals. We don't have to dress up every day, but unprofessional attire sure wouldn't help you any.

So, I don't know all of the facts, but I've been there, seen that, so I am leery of her lawsuit.

[readmoreoften]

22. Sure she could be a bad employee

but what her supervisor said is inappropriate.

[Boomer]

25. But if it's true....

...that this was indeed the attitude of others toward her, it was invaluable advice on how she could improve her image.

As others have mentioned, I suspect that there were probably performance issues -- she may have been competent but not of the caliber to advance in such a competitive atmosphere. But even if it was "only" a perception issue, she wasn't picking up on the office culture expectations.

The root issue is class culture conflict. High level professional jobs demand a certain degree of cultural conformity in dress and manner. Ignoring those cultural dictates is going to curtail your career. That's just the way it is.

My own preference is to dress down, which is why I've gravitated toward jobs where dress codes are non-existent and grunge is the expectation. If I had wanted to get ahead in a more professional career, I would have had to clean up my act or been willing to suffer the consequences.

[LostinVA]

26. I would like to know in what context her supervisor said that

If it was a direct observation to the plaintiff, ie, you suck and this is why, that's definitely really, really bad and unprofessional. If she had heard the gossip from other employees and went to the supervisor with that, that's another. I have no idea. But, as I said, I've known people like her, so who knows?

Actually, usually only library admin people dress up, so jeans, khakis, etc, are often acceptable, especially for non-public service positions. However, it is a professional job, and wearing neat jeans and a sweater is different 5than wearing "short skirts," if she did. Do I think that's stupid? Yes, but it is reality. And, I expect that the truth is probably more her being a "joke" performance-wise.

[emad]

20. US librarian loses 'sexy' lawsuit

US librarian loses 'sexy' lawsuit


A US librarian who said she was passed over for promotion because of her image and race has lost a lawsuit against her employer Harvard University.

A court ruled Desiree Goodwin, a black 40-year-old with two Masters degrees, had not suffered any discrimination.

Ms Goodwin claimed she was overlooked for 16 promotions and kept in the same job since she was hired in 1994.

She said a superior told her she could not be promoted because she was viewed as a sexily dressed "pretty girl".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4412665.stm

[smirkymonkey]

24. What the hell is someone with two Master's degrees doing

as a library assistant? Unless, of course, her degrees are in library science. But two? And 20 years in the SAME job?

It seems to me that this might be the nudge from the universe that she is on the wrong path and should be looking for a calling that better suits her.

As far as Harvard is concerned, their reputation as an "old boys club" is certainly gaining credibility.

[LostinVA]

27. Many library assistants have Master's

The public has so many misconceptions about this field. Library workers are either professionals/faculty or para-professionals/staff. Many of the later have advanced degrees, and do much of the same work as the former. The difference is contract versus state/permanent positions, and salary. No shame in this. We do a professional job in the vernacular, just not within the profession.

And, most academic libraries, including Harvard's, are very top=heavy with women, not men. I've been in the business for a long time at three universities, and I'll wager the problem is with the plaintiff's performance. This is detailed, precise work, with no room for mistakes, so who knows?

[truthisfreedom]

21. she just looks tired.

litigation takes it out of you.

[Zerex71]

23. Here's 10 bucks, girl

Buy a ladder and get over yourself. You ain't all that.