No end to sex harassment cases

Charlie Rose, one of the great American talk show hosts, always watchable, is the latest to be caught up in the sex harassment scandal. What is being claimed is almost beyond credible, especially the allegation that he walked around naked in front of female colleagues! Did he really do that? He must have been mad! The "past" is a dangerous word. Now 75, I'm sure Rose behaves impeccably but his past has found him out. But before he can make a proper account of himself, and certainly before any proof is provided, he's suspended and tarnished for ever. It's punishment by media. The women making the allegations went to the Washington Post and they published their claims. And, bang, he's finished. It's a brutal world. No mercy. But that's the way it is. Anyone in a high-profle position, whether it be in politics, business, media or Hollywood who has said anything or done anything in the past which can be catergorised as sexual harassment is going to be pilloried and shamed. If they're genuine cases, especially if they involve serial offences, then the action being taken is justified. If they are minor, one-off cases, then the individual involved should be treated with more mercy and not have his career ruined. But right now, there is a hunt underway (I won't use the cliche word witchhunt because it seems rather inappropriate since it's men being hunted not women). I guess there are going to be many many more cases dredged up over the coming months before it runs out of steam. The most positive result out of this scandal would be for bosses everywhere to enforce a new code for all their employees, men and women. As part of their contract for employment new recruits should be made aware that harassment of any kind, whether physical or verbal, is prohibited. The US and British military went through all this a long time ago. The old tradition of the screaming parade ground sergeant-major instilling discipline into fresh recruits is now frowned upon. And when cases arise, as they have done recently in the US, where an instructor is facing court martial for abusing a Muslim trainee who subsequently jumped from a balcony to his death, military commanders are quick to take action. If the allegations against Charlie Rose are true, he is lucky to have survived this long as America's premier talk show host.