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I think it’s a very relevant distinction targeted at this statement from GP: “universities behave as if employment discrimination laws don't exist. At least th

I think it’s a very relevant distinction targeted at this statement from GP: “universities behave as if employment discrimination laws don't exist. At least they're starting to be held accountable” This seems to be suggesting that they are violating employment discrimination laws, but that the laws so far have not been enforced perfectly. I think parent is saying that they are not violating employment discrimination laws, they are just less paranoid about accidentally violating them than FAANG companies are. Universities do generally have a much smaller $$$ target on their back, so it would not be too surprising if big tech is more paranoid about lawsuits than universities.

naniwaduni 3y ago
I think "hiring process inappropriately used race as a factor" sounds a lot like "they are violating employment discrimination laws, but that the laws so far have not been enforced perfectly", actually.
- pfannkuchen 3y ago
  I agree with your statement, I’m strictly referring to the exchange I mentioned and not to the overall topic.
  - naniwaduni 3y ago
    The link to the UW case is literally at the end of the line you quoted? I would assume that poster meant for those things to be related.
lazyasciiart 3y ago
The “at least they are starting to be held accountable” comment literally includes a link to the story of one that was violating employment laws.
lolinder 3y ago
Based on many anecdotes from friends and family in academia as well as many recent news reports (such as the one linked to by GP at the end of the line you quoted), I would say that universities have been violating employment discrimination laws regularly and egregiously and are only recently being held to account for it. Big tech's methods for avoiding liability may seem silly or extreme, but they arguably also work: if you literally know nothing about someone's protected classes you cannot make decisions based on them. Academic hiring, meanwhile, seems intent on collecting as much information as possible about as many protected characteristics as possible.

naniwaduni 3y ago

I think "hiring process inappropriately used race as a factor" sounds a lot like "they are violating employment discrimination laws, but that the laws so far have not been enforced perfectly", actually.

pfannkuchen 3y ago
I agree with your statement, I’m strictly referring to the exchange I mentioned and not to the overall topic.
- naniwaduni 3y ago
  The link to the UW case is literally at the end of the line you quoted? I would assume that poster meant for those things to be related.

lazyasciiart 3y ago

The “at least they are starting to be held accountable” comment literally includes a link to the story of one that was violating employment laws.

lolinder 3y ago

Based on many anecdotes from friends and family in academia as well as many recent news reports (such as the one linked to by GP at the end of the line you quoted), I would say that universities have been violating employment discrimination laws regularly and egregiously and are only recently being held to account for it. Big tech's methods for avoiding liability may seem silly or extreme, but they arguably also work: if you literally know nothing about someone's protected classes you cannot make decisions based on them. Academic hiring, meanwhile, seems intent on collecting as much information as possible about as many protected characteristics as possible.