How sexual harrassment corrupts an office

Nell Scovell, one of the few women ever to work as a writer on David Letterman's show, tells how it was. Excerpt:

Without naming names or digging up decades-old dirt, let's address the pertinent questions. Did Dave hit on me? No. Did he pay me enough extra attention that it was noted by another writer? Yes. Was I aware of rumors that Dave was having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Was I aware that other high-level male employees were having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Did these female staffers have access to information and wield power disproportionate to their job titles? Yes. Did that create a hostile work environment? Yes. Did I believe these female staffers were benefiting professionally from their personal relationships? Yes. Did that make me feel demeaned? Completely. Did I say anything at the time? Sadly, no.

Here's what I did: I walked away from my dream job. The show picked up my option after 13 weeks; then, about two months later, while looking for a nicer apartment, I realized I didn't want to commit to a yearlong lease. I'd seen enough to know that I was not going to thrive professionally in that workplace. And although there were various reasons for that, sexual politics did play a major part.

It's unfair to other women, obviously, and it can also be unfair to men working on the same professional level as the women. It corrupts the office culture. As much as I chafe against political correctness, I have to say that it's a very good thing, on balance, that this sort of thing is generally not tolerated in offices anymore, at least at responsible companies (that would not include Worldwide Pants, obviously).