This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It's YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work - for YOU.
Personnel News

NASA Speaks About Harassment in Space Science and Astronomy

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
January 15, 2016
Filed under , ,
NASA Speaks About Harassment in Space Science and Astronomy

NASA Administrator Communicates Harassment Policies to Grantees (link fixed)
“The following is a letter from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to grantee institutions running NASA-funded programs regarding harassment policies: As a leader in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), NASA endeavors to make our collaborations with our grant recipient institutions as productive and successful as possible in all facets of our shared objectives. This means that we seek not only the most innovative and cutting-edge scientific and technological research from our grant recipients, we also expect strong efforts to create and sustain welcoming and inclusive educational environments. We view such efforts not as “something nice to do” if the time can be spared, or something that human resources or the diversity and equity offices are responsible for, but rather as an integral and indeed necessary aspect of all educational program environments. Let me be perfectly clear: NASA does not tolerate sexual harassment, and nor should any organization seriously committed to workplace equality, diversity and inclusion. Science is for everyone and any behavior that demeans or discourages people from fully participating is unacceptable.”
Dava Newman: NASA Communicates Harassment Policies to Grantees
Keith’s 15 Jan 5:00 pm note: Kudos to Charlie Bolden for making a very public and unequivocal stance on this issue. No one will ever doubt NASA’s stance on this issue. In fact Bolden may have just set a new, higher standard in this regard.
Keith’s 15 Jan 1:35 pm note: The issue of sexual harassment in space science and astronomy has taken on a life of its own in traditional and social media. The hashtag #astroSH for these discussions has been trending nationally on Twitter. This has attracted a number of women who have opened up about experiences they had to endure while trying to pursue a career – thus inspiring others to comment as well.
As with anything that gets popular in social media there are now fake Twitter accounts popping up behind which people hide and snipe on #astroSH conversations. Other fake accounts use the hashtag as part of so-called spambot marketing schemes. Yet the core focus of #astroSH continues to grow. And of course #astroSH is a subset of much larger issue of harassment in research and the workplace.
NASA funds a substantial portion of the astronomy and space science research that forms the core of this community’s activity. While these specific harassment cases are indeed internal issues within specific non-NASA institutions, NASA does have an unequivocal moral stake in the way that these cases are handled – as well as pushing to make such behavior unwelcome in the first place. Yes, NASA like all other government agencies has a list of formal policies on this matter. However having these policies does not seem to have stifled this behavior. But NASA does have people at its helm – specifically NASA Administrator Bolden, Deputy Administrator Newman, and Chief Scientist Stofan, who could use their prominence to speak out on this issue. So far we’ve heard nothing but silence. One would hope that will change soon.

https://media2.spaceref.com/news/2016/astrosh.m.jpg

Keith’s 14 Jan note: I sent a note to NASA HQ yesterday suggesting that they read what is being posted on Twitter under the hashtag #astroSH. The postings concern the two astronomy harassment cases that broke earlier this week. Lots of pent-up raw emotion, anger, frustration are being expressed by many people who have been victims of sexual harassment in the astronomy/space science community – a topic that touches far too many people. Given NASA’s prominence in the funding of astronomy one would think that something public from NASA – even if not directly addressing these two specific events – would be very useful right about now. The prominence that the President gave to women in education and exploration the other night in his State of the Union speech simply underscores the value of something being issued by NASA right now.
NASA’s reaction: silence.
Keith’s 14 Jan 1:00 PM update: The following statement, written prior to this week’s harassment stories, is used by NASA for these sorts of matters, has been forwarded to me. NASA is (apparently) not responding directly to the issues raised by #astroSH commenters — so I doubt that this will appear anywhere at NASA.gov. “NASA does not tolerate sexual harassment, and nor should any organization seriously committed to workplace equality, diversity and inclusion. Science is for everyone and any behavior that demeans or discourages people from fully participating is unacceptable.”
Harassment in Space Science and Astronomy (Update)

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

10 responses to “NASA Speaks About Harassment in Space Science and Astronomy”

  1. TheBrett says:
    0
    0

    It’s definitely troubling. You’d think at least Bolden could make a comment or something.

    • Ball Peen Hammer ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ says:
      0
      0

      I can’t see how it’s troubling that NASA isn’t commenting on how sexual harassment is being dealt with by groups which are not NASA. They are very clear on how sexual harassment is viewed at NASA.

  2. Michael Spencer says:
    0
    0

    Why should he make a statement on this issue, other than reiterate existing policy?

    • kcowing says:
      0
      0

      Appear as a human being to give credibility to the issue.

      • fcrary says:
        0
        0

        I’m not sure. I don’t follow Twitter, so I’m not sure about the exact concerns. But NASA does have policies about harassment, and it looks like that isn’t enough, they aren’t working or they aren’t being enforced as well as they could be.

        Looking human and concerned is a fine thing for the director of NASA to do. But if there is a serious problem, the solution probably requires more than reiterating the existing policy and expressing honest, human concern. How about suggesting or ordering ways to improve a system that is, apparently, failing?

        • Michael Spencer says:
          0
          0

          The system is transitioning from reiterated empty words to actual action. Looks like it’s working. I hope that others engaged in improper behavior see what’s happening, even to tenured professors, and taking note.

  3. Anonymous says:
    0
    0

    Is the italicized text the entirety of administrator Bolden’s statement?

    The link “NASA Administrator Communicates Harassment Policies to Grantees” takes me to the SpaceRef homepage and further articles on the subject aren’t obvious. The same link under “SpaceWire | See More” on the right side circularly links to the SpaceRef homepage.

  4. Richard Brezinski says:
    0
    0

    NASA has nondiscrimination policies which are routinely disregarded, especially by the higher level NASA bosses who are the ones with the hiring, firing, evaluation, promotion, etc authority. I’ve often wondered whether, while at the working level, everyone has to sit through on-line nondiscrimination education, whether above a certain level they are excused from the course.
    And if you call them on the discrimination, then they cover it up and get together and conspire to cover for one another.

    • fcrary says:
      0
      0

      I have no idea if this is true of NASA upper management. But I do see this as a common problem which goes far beyond discrimination and harassment. It is pretty common for people who establish rules to also exempt themselves. That almost guarantees bad management and rules.