By LARRY DING and MATTHEW ROTHSTEIN
The large wave of sexual harassment accusations against high profile members of society has brought about many passionate opinions from the public, and Jericho High School students and teachers are among them.
Students are shocked that some in such high positions of power could be guilty of this kind of crime. Sophomore Sebastian M. said, “I think it is awful, and what they did is wrong, and I was very surprised when such high profile people including some who help run our country were accused of sexual harassment.” This view was shared by many other students. Senior Maria G. said, “It makes me nervous because with all of these allegations coming up, you do not know who you can trust anymore.” Sophomore Nicole C. said, “I think it’s wrong because I feel like everyone should respect each other and they [those accused of sexual harassment] spread negative ideas to the community.”
Jericho teachers have shown similar reactions. English teacher Ms. D’Antonio said, “It literally takes my breath away every time I read it. It’s completely taken over all of media and it’s horrific in the sense that it happened on a bigger scale.” English teacher Ms. Valenza believes it’s a new opportunity. She said, “I think it’s remarkable how this has become such a topic right now. It’s wonderful that women can finally speak up for something that has been going on for generations, and it’s finally being taken seriously.”
However, there are still many cases of women refusing to come out against harassers. High School librarian Ms. Ryder believes that often the perpetrator holds something important over the victim and can threaten them to keep silent. She said it’s because “they’re afraid they’re going to lose their job which means they’re not going to be able to support their family anymore.” Ms D’Antonio has a different angle on the situation. She said, “I think that there is a fear of not being believed, a fear of reliving the situation that is often really painful to talk about, and I think we live in this world where the patriarchy is superior to the matriarchy.”
When those accused are found guilty or are held accountable, it provides a small sense of progress. Ms. Ryder expressed this sentiment when she said, “sexual harassment is no longer the birthright of powerful men.”
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