Ann McGinley - Understanding Sexual Harassment

Prof. Ann McGinley published The Masculinity Motivation online as part of a #MeToo joint symposium of Yale Law Journal and Stanford Law Review.  The essay observes that elementary, middle, and high schools act as “training grounds” for sexual harassment in the workplace, and judges fail to hold school boards accountable under Title IX for serious sexual harassment occurring in schools as a result of boys’ need to prove their masculinity to their peers.  The harassment that occurs, she notes, is both physical and verbal, and is often ignored by school officials and the courts.  Boys as well as girls are frequent victims, as are children with disabilities. This uncorrected harassment has serious health risks.  It creates severe emotional difficulties for children, some of whom commit suicide as a result.   She plans to continue working on the concept of schools as training grounds throughout this year and to examine in depth the serious health consequences of the situation.