Dive Brief:
- University of Minnesota Athletic Director Norwood Teague was accused of sexual harassment and resigned from his job last week. But the story of Minneapolis Star Tribune sports reporter Amelia Rayno – who claimed to be one of the women harassed by Teague – had some HR pros questioning how the HR department of her paper handled the situation.
- According to her account, the Tribune gave her four options: "the company contacting Teague directly to demand that he cease the inappropriate behavior; contacting Teague’s superiors to inform them of his behavior; changing beats; or…waiting to see if the behavior continued before taking action." Rayno chose the last option because she “didn’t want to risk losing access or switch her area of coverage.”
- HR pros are split on how the Tribune should have responded. Some say that they did well in accepting Rayno’s decision, while others felt the paper should have gotten more involved.
Dive Insight:
For companies with employees who often work closely with those from other companies (journalists, marketers, etc.), dealing with sexual harassment issues can be even more complicated.
Employers are, of course, obligated to provide a harassment-free environment for workers. The Star Tribune could have reported Teague to the university without Reyno’s consent, Frances Baillon, partner at Minneapolis law firm Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta, told bizjournals.com. But she cautions that may not always be the best choice, and that the Tribune was right in respecting Rayno’s wishes.
Sheila Engelmeier, an employment attorney at Engelmeier & Umanah, said that the Star Tribune should have done more. She noted that the Tribune could have found itself in legal trouble if the situation worsened, especially if the Tribune never formally addressed the situation.
Engelmeier suggests that companies with close ties to other companies should have “an open dialogue” in place so that they can work together to solve any issues that may arise. HR should also make sure that the internal work environment encourages employees to bring up their concerns right away, she added. This way, employees feel safe and HR is safe from most legal issues.