Behind the MOOC Harassment Charges That Stunned MIT

An anonymous reader writes: The complainant in a sexual harassment case has come forward and told her story about what happened when she was a student in a MOOC led by a rockstar professor. "It would take almost a year before Harbi, with the help of MIT’s investigators, said she came to understand that Lewin’s interest in her was not motivated by empathy, and that their first conversations included inappropriate language. Shortly after contacting her, Harbi said, Lewin quickly moved their friendship into uncomfortable territory, and she was pushed to participate in online sexual role-playing and send naked pictures and videos of herself."

Comments

Not trying to excuse what he did

[OverlordQ]

But how exactly did he force them to do what they did *Over the internet*

Re:Not trying to excuse what he did

[AchilleTalon]

First of all, Lewin is guilty of violation of the MIT code of conduct, no doubt. However, we are talking here about adult women. Are they responsible for what they engage into? Shouldn't be assumed, whatever their past and culture? Or do you have to asssume each time you engage a conversation with someone he/she is not responsible for what he/she says? And if it eventually turn into flirt, it will become sexual harassment because the other party can plea it is not her/his culture, etc. Is it she/he responsible for reading these f... email and answering them? And what about her culture when time came to take and send naked pictures of herself? Is it a normal conduct in Algeria? Lewin was an idiot and was framed.

Re:Not trying to excuse what he did

[Anonymous Coward]

I actively groomed my wife to marry me through Charm and Seduction. If we had not married would it then be harassment a year later if she had decided she didn't like me for whatever reason?

Sadly, after the point in time a woman decides she doesn't like you, a single flirt could cause all previous grooming to be used against you as evidence of a history of harassment. Happened to a person I know. Sad, but true.

Re:Not trying to excuse what he did

[stephanruby]

So while no-one was physically compelled to send anything, it sure sounds as if they were psychologically compelled.

Well, it does sound like he lied to them (about exclusivity).

Lewin confessed his love for several of them, chat logs show, but often denied those feelings to women who asked about the others.

It's probably just me being cynical, but had the first degree women friends of the Professor on Facebook not replied to that first woman saying that they were also in an online sexual relationship with the Professor, then the first woman wouldn't have considered his behavior sexual harassment, and she would have never retroactively taken back her consent to the online relationship.

She also said she felt trap near the end, but really how trapped could she have been? She started all of this more than a year after the fact. Wasn't she finished with the course by that time? Shouldn't the power relationship be nullified once all the grades are in and the course finished? Also the Professor was already pushing 80 years old and had already retired? How much power did have from across the ocean as an 80 year old?

Did he try to blackmail her with the pictures he already had? From the detailed article, that doesn't seem to be the case. If the detail of him lying about other women is any indication, that seems to be the most relevant part of her grievance, and that's how he "psychologically compelled" her -- by lying to her. And by the time she found out about the online infidelity, she was already emotionally attached to him, that's why she felt trapped (at least, that would be my cynical interpretation of her statements, because I just don't buy the I-felt trapped-because-he-kept-on-contacted-me reason.).

Re:Popcorn time!

[MightyMartian]

So you see nothing wrong with a professor using his status to obtain sexual favors?

Re:Popcorn time!

[DaHat]

So you see nothing wrong with a professor using his status to obtain sexual favors?

Even if they are offered?

I've a friend who spent some time as a college level instructor and on quite a few occasions would have rather attractive co-ed here or there who would put on the water works or even make veiled sexual offers if he to try to get him to bump their grade or allow late work to be turned in for full credit.

My friend was at least smart and professional enough to refuse all such advances, not all are so.

I'm not excusing anything, I've just heard plenty from the other side.

Re:Not a college kid

[Ol Olsoc]

And if he or she doesn't stop? This really isn't about getting the nerve up to ask for a date. This is an almost classic example of a person in a position of power finding a mark to go after.

But, uh, he wasn't in a position with any power over her. She was a student in a not for credit, no grade course that he taught. He had no power whatsoever.

You don't understand how these things get started. If I might take na example from a recent pedophile scandal.

Jerry Sandusky was a well known and loved football coach who ran a foundation and housing for "at risk" children.

In his foundation, where he was around a lot of young boys, he could find ones who were vulnerable in one way or another. Long and short of it is that through coercing them over a period of time, he eventually molested them.

He knew how to hunt. Most kids would give him a kick in the nuts or just avoid him, but those with the specific vulnerability ended up molested.

These people know how to find people they can manipulate. Whether she was flattered at first, or a little insecure - I don't know. But a lot of people are, and that doesn't excuse him in the least.

Eventually she found it way beyond the pale, and decided enough was enough. And if you RTFA she is not the only one. He's definitely sleazy. There are places that people can go if they want that sort of thing, either on the internet or in person. Then both parties are willing participants.

Warning! Warning! Strawman argument! Warning!

She wasn't raped.

God, on slashdot any disagreement is called a "straw man" I know straw men,, and that was no straw man

I suspect a degree of obtuseness here. So lets do the long form.

No one deserves getting hauled into a sexual situation against their will. In my response to

And it's not as if women don't use their sex-appeal when it suits them. I was saying, in a time honored fashion, but one that apparently needs dumbed down for you:

Because a woman looks nice, or dresses nicely, or smiles at you, or even gives you a peck on the cheek, it in no way gives you the right to expect sexual favors from her, because her appearance does not give you the right for sexual favors, her clothing does not give you the right to expect sexual favors, and her basic sexuality , get ready for it......here it comes...... does not give you the right to expect sexual favors from her. Just sayin'.