Bob Hall’s comments, prompted by the sexual harassment case faced by Gold’s Gym, are shocking to me. According to Hall, the whole case merely amounts to an effort by the women employees to “stir up trouble” and “bring attention to themselves.” This is a supposition that will of course be left up to the courts to decide.
However, Hall’s reasoning for arguing this possible outcome of the case is that women employees of Gold’s are “snooty, misbehaved and lacking in morals.” Even if the women employees of Gold’s acted this way, is it right for gyms to either require or suggest that their female workers to wear tight clothing in order to attract the male population (a nonchalant “fact” given in Hall’s comments)? Of course not, and if Gold’s does this, they deserve to be sued, according to the law. Notwithstanding Hall’s personal judgments on these employees, maybe they would be nicer to him if he showed them some respect. But this is exactly my point: Hall shows a complete lack of respect for women in his letter by attacking women’s liberation and women in general. His definition of women’s liberation is almost laughable.
Yet Hall’s most demeaning assertion is that women have brought all the trouble they are having in today’s society “upon themselves.” How could anybody blame sexual harassment on the victim? Sure there are some who do abuse the system, but how many women do face sexual harassment and are too afraid to do anything about it? Depending on the verdict in the Gold’s Gym case, these women should be applauded for their courage to fight against sexual harassment. So ladies (including Kate Jones), please excuse Bob Hall and his statements; as a man, I repudiate his blatant show of disrespect for women displayed in his letter.
Dan Combs
West Jordan, Utah
