[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H286-H288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCIENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Speier) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, universities are supposed to be in the 
business of illumination, but as we have seen in recent cases at Cal 
Tech and at UC Berkeley, that is not always the case.
  At UC, world-renowned astronomer Geoff Marcy sexually harassed 
students for years with no consequences. The light of knowledge can 
cast some dark shadows. Brave women recently alerted my office to still 
more harassment in astronomy, now at the University of Arizona.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record this report from the University 
of Arizona regarding Dr. Timothy Slater. This report was sealed for 
over a decade while Dr. Slater went on with his career. His example 
shows why so few women continue careers in science and in engineering.

                              Confidential


                          Investigative Report

       Complaint No: 04-06A-MKM
       Complainant: Administrative Review
       Respondent: Dr. Timothy Slater
       Department: Department of Astronomy, Steward Observatory
       Date Complaint Received: August 2004
       Report Date: March 31, 2005


                               background

       Prior to July 2004, several individuals approached the 
     EOAAO to discuss sexually charged conduct they were 
     experiencing in the College of Astronomy, and Steward 
     Observatory. They stated that the conduct was occurring 
     across ranks; some indicated the conduct was creating a 
     sexually hostile work environment. Some indicated retaliation 
     might be occurring. These individuals refused to file 
     complaints against the department because they feared work-
     related repercussions, including unlawful retaliation. 
     Consequently the EOAAO met with administrators in the 
     Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory to discuss 
     initiating an investigation into sexual harassment, sexually 
     hostile work environment. The department, in turn, formalized 
     a request for investigation, such that this Administrative 
     Review began in August 2004.
       Responsive to evidence obtained in the early stages of 
     investigation, the EOAAO named Dr. Tim Slater as a respondent 
     in this case, on September 24, 2004. The EOAAO notified Dr. 
     Slater of his respondent status in accordance with EOAAO 
     procedures, identifying sexual harassment and retaliation as 
     the relevant issues.
       Dr. Slater was hired by the University of Arizona on August 
     6, 2001, as an Associate Professor of Astronomy. He received 
     tenure standing in May 2004. He has a variety of duties at 
     the university, including his post as the Conceptual 
     Astronomy and Physics Education Research (CAPER) team leader.


                         scope of investigation

       In the course of the investigation, the investigator 
     interviewed multiple individuals--some more than once--who 
     were associated with the Department of Astronomy, Steward 
     Observatory, and/or the CAPER team. Witnesses were selected 
     either randomly, or with an effort to cross-section levels of 
     authority and closeness, professional and/or personal, with 
     the respondent. All efforts were made to get a comprehensive 
     point of view.


                                 issue

       Did Dr. Slater violate the University's Sexual Harassment 
     Policy, as well as the policy's Retaliation component?
       Witness B stated that Dr. Slater and Witness J make a lot 
     of sexual jokes and create sexual banter on a regular basis. 
     She noted a lot of the women tend to ignore this when it is 
     occurring around them.
       On a regular basis, Dr. Slater has told Witness B she would 
     teach better if she did not wear underwear.
       On at least one occasion he grabbed her underwear through 
     her dress, stretched it and snapped it, and said, ``You'd 
     look a whole lot better without these on,'' or words to that 
     effect. That same day he invited her to attend a lunch with a 
     visiting female graduate student from [redacted] and Witness 
     J. Dr. Slater indicated they would be lunching at a local 
     topless bar. At lunch both Dr. Slater and Witness J paid for 
     and received lap dances. Dr. Slater offered to purchase a lap 
     dance for Witness B; she declined and he did not push the 
     issue further.
       Witness B reported that during the semester the sexual 
     conduct occurs daily.
       Witness C provided the following information:
       Witness C stated that she has continual but infrequent 
     interaction with Dr. Slater during the course of her work. 
     She stated that her concern regarding Dr. Slater reflects 
     sexual conduct occurring on one day: [redacted] Witness C 
     traveled with Dr. Slater to [redacted] by car, in the company 
     of a female graduate student.
       During the car trip, Witness C told Dr. Slater some work 
     she had completed for CAPER. He responded by saying, 
     ``Awesome! I could just kiss you full on the mouth,'' or 
     words very close to those. Witness C stated she found this 
     response distasteful.
       Later he asked her, ``How bad can I be with you?'' When she 
     asked him what he meant, he asked her if she would be 
     reporting his comments back to her supervisor.
       Dr. Slater went on to relate that when he goes to academic 
     conferences out of town he goes online to set up ``hook-ups'' 
     (sexual dates) with women in the geographic area. He told 
     Witness C that his personal (sexual) record was four (4) 
     women in twenty-four (24) hours.
       Dr. Slater also stated that he and his wife occasionally 
     set up manage-a-trois.
       Dr. Slater and the accompanying female graduate student 
     discussed the upcoming visit of Dr. Slater's colleague. She 
     asked Dr. Slater if she would have to sleep with him, to 
     which Dr. Slater replied, ``No, not this one.'' Witness C 
     looked at them and exclaimed, ``What?'' whereupon Dr. Slater 
     told her that occasionally he might have to ask her to take 
     one for the team.
       Talking about Witness J, Dr. Slater said, ``Yeah, he likes 
     the young ones. Witness C asked if that individual did not 
     have a girlfriend. Dr. Slater replied that a girlfriend was 
     one thing, but a student was another. Witness C asked if the 
     students were minors, to which Dr. Slater responded that they 
     were all probably over 18.
       He added that he, Dr. Slater, preferred a more mature woman 
     who knew ``her way around the bedroom.'' Some minutes later 
     he turned to Witness C and asked her if she knew ``anything 
     about or was any good at giving blowjobs, because (the 
     accompanying female--name deleted) does not like to give or 
     receive them--maybe you could give her some pointers.''
       Witness C then told Slater he was being completely 
     inappropriate. She said, ``You barely know me. I only started 
     a couple of weeks ago, and you're already talking to me like 
     this. Doesn't the U of A give sexual harassment training, or 
     were your absent that day?'' She went on to say that she has 
     a particularly large boyfriend (whom she described, in part, 
     as Black) She told Dr. Slater that he would not appreciate 
     the manner in which Dr. Slater was speaking to her. Dr. 
     Slater then asked Witness C if it were true that once you 
     went black, you'd never go back,'' or words to that effect.
       Later Dr. Slater joked that he would pull off at a rest 
     stop so they could have a threesome. Witness C responded by 
     saying, ``Like that's going to happen,'' or words to that 
     effect. After that she tried changing the subject every time 
     it turned sexual, and then she related a story of personal 
     tragedy (non-sexual,) which she noted seemed to sober Dr. 
     Slater and the other female right away.
       Witness C stated that she reported Dr. Slater's conduct to 
     the Principle Investigator (PI) on her project. The PI, in 
     turn, told her she should report it to her supervisor, which 
     she did.
       [Relevant to Witness D's testimony] Witness C stated she 
     was aware that Dr. Slater appeared to be trying to take 
     [redacted] program [redacted] away from the department and 
     bring it over to Steward Observatory where he also works. She 
     stated he has been pulling funding from the program. 
     Additionally he bad-mouths the Program Coordinator, Witness 
     C's supervisor. He has also been giving responsibilities 
     previously held by that supervisor to his various graduate 
     students.
       The witness recalled that other female graduate students 
     had commented that their advisors, Dr. Slater and Witness J, 
     were too sexual in their demeanor.


                      Information from Respondent

       On September 30, 2004 Dr, Tim Slater provided the following 
     information:
       He stated that he recalled two occasions on which 
     individuals complained directly to him about his personal 
     conduct.
       In [redacted] talking about a bachelor party at a strip 
     club, such that a graduate student commented, ``That really 
     creeps me out when you talk that way in front of me,'' or 
     words to that affect. He recalled apologizing.
       A graduate student and former CAPER team member telling him 
     that it had made her uncomfortable when he massaged her 
     shoulders publicly, while hosting a teacher workshop. Dr. 
     Slater recalled that she was concerned others might 
     misinterpret the nature of their relationship, were they to 
     observe his gesture.
       Dr. Slater characterized himself as a ``touchy'' person who 
     often hugs people. He stated that he is a ``flirtatious'' 
     person, and defined that as ``friendly,'' and ``flattering.'' 
     He stated this is mostly with the CAPER group, since CAPER 
     constitutes his primary professional and social interaction.
       Dr. Slater stated that he hugs males as well as females, 
     and that he brought many people on the team [CAPER] from 
     Montana and Kansas [universities there.] Many had lived in 
     his house with him and his wife from time to time, and some 
     of the relationships were of 10-12 years' duration. He added 
     they had been in each other's weddings. He stated that they 
     all socialize together at someone's house (often his) on 2-3 
     occasions per month.
       Dr. Slater stated that he and Witness J run the CAPER 
     group, and that within the group they have a joke that he, 
     Slater, is the ``mom,'' and Witness J is the ``dad.'' He 
     stated that some of the CAPER team members were more like 
     family than others; he listed the two groups.
       Regarding reports that he had given out ``sex toys'' at 
     social events; he recalled that

[[Page H287]]

     he had given one female graduate student a pickle or 
     cucumber-shaped vibrator at a ``pre-marriage'' party. He 
     could not recall having given out chocolate handcuffs, as 
     specifically alleged. Regarding the vibrator, he recalled 
     that the recipient was a collector of the vegetable it 
     represented, and that he was certain she was not offended by 
     it. He recalled there were pickle or cucumber jokes going 
     around the office for several days, thereafter.
       Dr. Slater did not recall making the comment that he would 
     have to install cameras in his home, as alleged, and 
     referential to the alleged comment that everyone [in CAPER] 
     had engaged in sexual activity in his home. Dr. Slater 
     reiterated that many of the CAPER team members had, in fact, 
     lived with him at his house over the years.
       Regarding allegations that he stopped to look at women, and 
     commented on their appearance, he stated this was common 
     practice for him, and that he might have done it anywhere 
     from ``one-to-ten-to-a-hundred times.'' He denied that he had 
     a rating system, but recalled saying things like, ``You're 
     going to have to say that again, because that's too 
     distracting.'' He confirmed he had made such comments to 
     women in the department and often Witness J, who joked with 
     him in a similar fashion.
       Regarding allegations that he told a colleague he had a 
     prohibition against ``blue balls'' in the office (referencing 
     an exercise ball,) he stated he did not recall making the 
     comment, but that it was ``consistent'' with the kinds of 
     comments he would make.
       He believed he had not told a colleague he would have 
     invited her to swim over the weekend but for the likelihood 
     she would wear her swim suit. He stated he doubted that 
     comment because he is not exclusionary by nature.
       He did not recall telling a [subordinate female] colleague 
     that she would teach better were she to stop wearing 
     underwear, and did not recall snapping her underwear [through 
     her T-shirt dress, as alleged.] However, he stated, he did 
     tend to say a lot of sexual things.
       Dr. Slater confirmed that he took a visiting female 
     graduate student, as well as a male and a female 
     [subordinate] colleague to lunch at a local strip club. He 
     did not recall that specific event, but stated that he [and 
     the accompanying male] usually purchase lap dances when they 
     go. He usually offers to purchase lap dances for others, as 
     well. He stated they go about once per month, and that it's 
     usually a mixed group (male and female.)
       Dr. Slater recalled that a group of department women had 
     gone to a male club in honor of a wedding or birthday, and 
     reported having a terrible time. Somehow, as an offshoot to 
     that situation, one of the women [Witness B] thought she 
     might like female clubs better, and decided to join the men. 
     He could not recall how many times she attended, but thought 
     probably several. He stated that he has gone with his wife, 
     and several of the graduate students and/or colleagues. He 
     stated the tab is always collected for ``Dutch'' treat: 
     departmental funds are never used.
       For complete report go to http://speier.house.gov.

 House of Representatives,

                                 Washington, DC, January 11, 2016.
     Catherine E. Lhamon,
     Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Civil Rights, 
         Department of Education, Washington, DC.
       Dear Assistant Secretary Lhamon: Thank you for your 
     leadership and commitment to eradicating sexual harassment 
     and assault on college campuses. Knowing your interest in 
     this area, I wanted to bring the attached report to your 
     attention, which details disturbing sexual harassment by a 
     former faculty member at the University of Arizona. Despite 
     finding that Dr. Timothy Slater committed a policy violation 
     in the matter of ``sexual harassment, hostile work 
     environment,'' the report and its incriminatory revelation 
     were sealed, and Dr. Slater moved to a new job at the 
     University of Wyoming, where he continues to supervise 
     students and teach workshops. In light of this, I ask that 
     the Office of Civil Rights clarify whether universities that 
     find a Title IX violation by faculty or staff are required to 
     disclose the results of their investigation to other 
     educational institutions.
       The incidents described in the report are alarming. One 
     complainant said that Dr. Slater told her on a regular basis 
     that ``she would teach better if she did not wear underwear'' 
     and ``grabbed her underwear through her dress, stretched it 
     and snapped it, and said `You'd look a whole lot better 
     without these on,' or words to that effect.'' He asked 
     another complainant ``if she knew anything about or was any 
     good at giving blow jobs, because (name deleted) does not 
     like to give or received them--maybe you could give her some 
     pointers.'' Dr. Slater himself admitted that he gave an 
     employee a vegetable-shaped vibrator, that he frequently 
     commented to his employees and students about the appearance 
     of passing women, and that he told one person ``that his 
     personal sexual record was four women in 24 hours.''
       Staff spoke directly to a witness who recounted several 
     inappropriate interactions. She observed Dr. Slater 
     instructing an undergraduate student to ``touch your elbows 
     behind your back for me'' in order to scrutinize the 
     student's breasts, and touching graduate students on the leg 
     while making inappropriate statements. At a lab social event 
     at the Slaters' residence, video pornography was shown before 
     dinner. She recounted hearing Dr. Slater tell male colleagues 
     on more than one occasion that he enjoyed teaching large 
     lectures in rooms with stadium seating because the female 
     students in Arizona wear short skirts and often forget to 
     cross their legs. Dr. Slater once required the witness to 
     attend a lunch at a fully nude strip club with him in order 
     to discuss her academic work, with the implied consequence 
     that he would not discuss her work with her if she refused to 
     go. While she was there, she was pressured to attend future 
     lunches at the strip club. According to the witness, it was 
     made clear to her, though never explicitly stated, that if 
     she wanted to function in the lab that she had to take part 
     in this sexualized culture. Because of these incidents, the 
     witness left the field of astronomy.
       Staff spoke directly to another witness, who experienced 
     inappropriate comments and unwanted physical contact from Dr. 
     Slater. At a one-on-one work meeting, he told her that all 
     the other graduate students had sex at his house, that he had 
     video cameras, and asked when she would also have sex at his 
     house. During a lab social, she witnessed Dr. Slater and 
     another lab supervisor stating that at this party, lab 
     members were going to use the Slaters' hot tub naked. Dr. 
     Slater also touched her shoulders and stroked her back while 
     she was teaching, until she sent him a formal email 
     requesting that he stop. Due to the hostile work environment, 
     the witness transferred out of Dr. Slater's group, losing 
     years of progress towards her graduate degree.
       A third witness separately confirmed that Dr. Slater led 
     laboratory outings to strip clubs.
       The Slater report is disturbingly similar to the recent 
     case at the University of California, Berkeley, in which Dr. 
     Geoff Marcy, a prominent astronomer, violated campus sexual 
     harassment policies with minimal consequences for 9 years 
     until his story was publicized through the media. As the 
     University of Arizona did with the Slater case, UC Berkeley 
     kept the final report on Dr. Marcy's behavior confidential, 
     perhaps because, as Science Magazine put it, ``[t]he details 
     of UC Berkeley's inquiry into Marcy's conduct does not 
     reflect well on the institution, with the process stretching 
     for more than 4 years and Marcy given only weak sanctions 
     after repeated promises to reform.'' The final report from UC 
     Berkeley contained a sentence that could be applied equally 
     to Dr. Marcy and Dr. Slater: ``[i]t cannot be overstated how 
     Respondent's inherent influence and authority over the 
     complainants, real or perceived, heightened the impact of his 
     behavior on those experiencing or witnessing it.''
       The Slater case, while lurid, is just a symptom of a much 
     larger problem--how to prevent harassment, and effectively 
     deal with it when it occurs. Dr. Slater states that he is now 
     reformed, but there are still few consequences for faculty 
     members who sexually harass students. In some ways, the 
     situation is reminiscent of the Catholic Church's coddling of 
     child-molesting priests. As in the Church, universities 
     protect perpetuators with slap-on-the-wrist punishment and 
     secrecy, while victims are left alone to try to put their 
     academic careers and lives back together. One peer-reviewed 
     study found that over a quarter of women surveyed (and 6% of 
     men) have been sexually assaulted while conducting scientific 
     fieldwork, and 71% of women and 41% of men also reported that 
     they were sexually harassed.
       The profound effect of this dynamic on the participation of 
     women in science cannot be overstated. From 2002 through 
     2012, women received one-third or fewer of the doctorates 
     awarded in physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, and 
     computer science, and as of 2013 one-third or fewer of all 
     tenure or tenure track faculty positions in core STEM fields 
     were held by women. Indeed, all of the victims we talked to 
     suffered career consequences as a direct result of the 
     harassment, including losing years of graduate work, forgoing 
     professional opportunities, and changing fields of study. In 
     the Marcy case, one of the victims, who had aspired to work 
     at NASA, left astrophysics entirely as a direct result of 
     being harassed.
       When students found to have violated university policy 
     through the Title IX disciplinary process transfer to another 
     institution, the university that found the violation may 
     inform the other institution, but is not obligated to do so. 
     While this policy is vastly insufficient, it at least allows 
     universities to have the option to inform other universities 
     of the final results of a disciplinary proceeding. However, 
     no similar guidance exists for faculty or staff. I ask that 
     the Office of Civil Rights issue a clarification on the FERPA 
     or Title IX disclosure requirements when faculty or staff 
     whose conduct violated Title IX transfer to another 
     institution.
       Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look 
     forward to hearing from you soon.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Jackie Speier.

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, some universities protect predatory 
professors with slaps on the wrist and secrecy, just like the Catholic 
Church sheltered child-molesting priests for many decades.
  The incidents described in this report are lurid and disturbing. One 
graduate student was told regularly by Dr.

[[Page H288]]

Slater that she would teach better if she did not wear underwear. He 
asked another graduate student to give women pointers on oral sex 
techniques.
  Dr. Slater himself admitted that he gave an employee a vegetable-
shaped vibrator and that he frequently commented to his employees and 
students about the appearance of women.
  My staff spoke with one female grad student who was required to 
attend a strip club in order to discuss her academic work with Dr. 
Slater. The woman has since left the field of astronomy.
  The second female grad student told us that, during a one-on-one work 
meeting with Dr. Slater, he told her that all of the other graduate 
students had had sex at his house, that he had video cameras, and asked 
when she would join him to have sex there. She transferred out of Dr. 
Slater's lab, losing years of work.
  This is a significant reason as to why women hold fewer than one-
third of the faculty positions in science and engineering.
  Dr. Slater has said he is now reformed, which may be the case, but 
his actions, however lurid, are just symptoms of a larger problem of 
how to effectively deal with sexual harassment in academia.
  I agree with Dr. Meg Urry, the president of the American Astronomical 
Society, who said: ``In my view, this is what it would take to move the 
needle: severe and visible consequences for violating policies on 
harassment--and they do have to be visible.''
  That is why I plan to introduce legislation to require universities 
to inform other universities of the final results of a disciplinary 
proceeding. When students, faculty, or staff whose conduct has violated 
title IX transfer to another institution, the universities to which 
they are moving should be aware of their past conduct.
  I encourage anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in science, 
whether it is related to this incident or another, to call my office.
  Students enter astronomy to study the stars, not their professors' 
sex lives. It is time to stop pretending sexual harassment in science 
happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

                          ____________________