It Takes Entire Community to Fight Sexism
Who are those courageous school administrators who dismissed the sexual harassment of a Pacific Palisades High School female teacher by saying, “Boys will be boys”? (Sandy Banks, “A Missed Lesson in Limits of Vile Speech,” March 19).
If the underground student paper had gone after a black or Jewish teacher because of his or her race or religion, would administrators have dismissed it so blithely?
Who are those parents so wrapped up with their son’s college chances that they ignored their offspring’s vicious acts and shameful attitudes? Why are female students demonstrating support for their male colleagues writing about “humiliating girls during oral sex” and “slapping girls around”? What do the parents of these girls think about this?
Most of all, what now? Parents, teachers and administrators cannot remain silent on this issue. The sexist attitudes expressed in the student newspaper are damaging to the victims and the perpetrators alike--and it’s going to take a community effort to expose and defeat them.
BONNIE SLOANE
Los Angeles
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