Leshner Fellows letter on AAAS harassment policy
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A summary of our letter published in Science (September 7, 2018)
About our letter
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), as the world’s largest general scientific society, should refuse to honor individuals who have harassed others. Fellows of AAAS’ Leshner Leadership Institute for Public Engagement with Science have released a public letter calling on AAAS to develop a strong, meaningful policy to ensure that scientists who have harassed others do not receive AAAS awards or fellowships. Currently, no clear mechanism exists for preventing individuals who have damaged science by engaging in harassment from receiving and retaining awards, titles, and honors from AAAS.
The effects of harassment -- behavior that harms, degrades, and discriminates -- are pervasive in science. In particular, for sexual and gender harassment, its systemic impacts are a daily reality for women in academia, whose professional interactions, choices, and career paths are shaped by its presence. In their letter, Leshner fellows call on AAAS to both prevent future awards to and, where appropriate, revoking previous honors, from those who have engaged in harassment. Honoring harassers sends a message to the entire scientific community that a harasser’s individual scientific achievements are considered more valuable than the severe, widespread effects of a culture of harassment on the careers, livelihoods, and scientific potential of a much broader population. Taking action to address the pervasive nature of harassment in science is the responsibility of all scientists, and scientific societies such as AAAS can and should lead the way.