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> “Just think of all the good that could have been done with that money. There are so many excellent young scientists who could replace and outperform Sabatini.
by boeingUH60 4y ago
> “Just think of all the good that could have been done with that money. There are so many excellent young scientists who could replace and outperform Sabatini. Instead, it’s been put into the hands of a failed leader,” says cognitive neuroscientist Jessica Cantlon, who is now at Carnegie Mellon University but was involved in another sexual harassment furor at Rochester University.
I’m not well versed with this case but this sounds arrogant af. These are just two private donors that have decided to fund someone’s research. No one but the donors alone decide how to use their money.
It’s not like Ackman is hurting for $2.5 million yearly or will necessarily use it for something better.
- vkou 4y ago> These are just two private donors that have decided to fund someone’s research. It's a free country - they are free to fund a harasser, we are free to judge them and their judgement for it. If someone gets fired from Wal-Mart for stealing from the till (no criminal charges necessary), and is running a Chick-Fil-A franchise next week, there'd be a fair bit of judgement of that, too. Even if the only people he's going to hurt are his employers, and employees.
- boeingUH60 4y agoFair point…although the accused claims he was unfairly judged. It’s likely that Bill Ackman believes the guy or something.
- KerrAvon 4y ago> The Whitehead probe concluded that Sabatini fostered a sexualized lab environment in which he rewarded those who participated in sexual banter, threatened retaliation against lab members if they raised questions about his conduct, and threatened another faculty member who refused to hire a young visiting scientist whom Sabatini would later marry. It also found that he and Knouse carried on a sexual relationship against Whitehead rules.
- epicureanideal 4y agoThat’s one version. Who knows if the “probe” reached accurate conclusions. It seems at least some investors might think it didn’t.
- mcguire 4y agoClearly, you would like an investigation into the probe?
- Manuel_D 4y agohttps://www.thefp.com/p/he-was-a-world-renowned-cancer-researcher https://www.thefp.com/p/he-was-a-world-renowned-cancer-resea... Alternatively: He had a consensual relationship with a woman in the same institute, but had her own lab and he had no supervisory power over her. 2 years later she retroactively decided the relationship was abusive. It's rather unusual to ban all relationships across the board, even between people without a supervisor-employee relationship. "Sexualized lab environment" is an incredibly vague allegation to make. These people are adults. Chances are a large number of the people working in the lab are dating or looking for a partner - are they just not supposed to give any mention to their social lives at work?
- acdha 4y agoThat's a right-wing activist's personal site. Bari Weiss doesn't have any insight or information into this, just a political and financial motivation to hype up “cancel culture”. Of course she's going to say that he was innocent because she needs a constant source of new material to maintain the narrative which pays her bills.
- snapplebobapple 4y agoIt's always extremely amusing when I see Bari Weiss libeled in a such a manner. yes, the Jewish Lesbian with a degree from Colombia, numerous journalism awards, nearly a decade of experience working at the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times is totally a right-wing activist rather than a well educated, well reasoned, experienced journalist with views you don't agree with (almost certainly because your views are at least partially wrong).
- carabiner 4y ago[flagged]
- boeingUH60 4y ago> Btw weird username. sikorskyUH60? Oh yeah, was meant to be that, but I mixed it up in my head and wrote BoeingUH60 when selecting a username…just decided to run with it.
- dang 4y agoWe can always rename accounts if people want; not that you should. But if anyone wants to, email hn@ycombinator.com.
- BenSahar 4y agoWhat do feminist groups have to do with the quote or the OP's response?
- tehwebguy 4y ago> I've noticed some entitlement from feminist groups in science or other white collar careers What are you talking about? This entire story is even a thing because of a male scientist's own entitlement!
- dang 4y agoPlease don't take HN threads into gender flamewar hell, or on generic ideological tangents generally. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- cjf101 4y agoShe's just saying Ackman is throwing good money after bad. Don't see how that's arrogant, it's just a good analysis. Based on his history, Sabatini will most likely end up costing Ackman time/money/trouble. There are other people that wouldn't come with that risk whose likely research output would be the same or better. I mean, he's welcome to make the investments he wants, but it's a bad look.
- epicureanideal 4y agoOr maybe people can have a second chance, or maybe there are more details that they know about and we don’t. Maybe a talented scientist shouldn’t have the rest of their life thrown away even if they did make a mistake.
- mcguire 4y agoWhen does the "second chance" clock start, the first time you do something heinous or when you get caught? How many "mistakes" (Really? "Mistake"?) does that first chance cover?
- bilqis 4y agoI kinda missed, did this biologist served some time or was he convicted?
- LarryMullins 4y agoDon't you know that accusations are just as good as convictions^? According to some other comments in this discussion, he has been so thoroughly accused that he is now "disgraced" and funding him is "evil". ^ Except of course when they aren't. When they are or aren't depends entirely on the politics of the beholder, and woe unto you if you ever get it wrong.
- mcguire 4y agohttps://www.mikeglaw.com/is-sexual-harassment-a-crime/ https://www.mikeglaw.com/is-sexual-harassment-a-crime/