Originally Posted by
high_flyer
Hmmm.... hiltonhead, there is a connection. I think my wife was more slandered that sexually harrassed. But either way, the TSA should no better.
From a
Federal Commission on Human Rights Even though it says MO in it, it's Federal, so it's not a "state" issue.
It doesn't have to be directed at an individual. It may not have been heard by anyone but myself and the other employee who "laughed" but any other screener who heard this may be tired of this employee's actions. The other screener may not have heard it, but knows that the employee is doing it.
Either way, it should be reviewed. Thus my letter.
I'm not going to do anything about it beyond that. I don't know if he's only done it once, or 100 times.
I think the Screener was uncouth, and ... oh well. I'm back in Austin, and he's still in NYC. But based on his actions, I think the TSA haven't trained their employees that "blonde jokes" are a form of sexual harrassment.
I'm quite confident that had a done a "dumb blonde" joke against a screener or a LEO, that I would have been held or detained.
I agree 100%. I never intended to imply that the actions of the screener were acceptable....just not sexual harassment. If this had of been said about my wife (yes, she is blond..and no, she doesn't use Wite-out on her laptop screen.) I would have probably confronted the smart-arse and demanded an apology or to speak to a supervisor. His behavior was unacceptable and should be confronted. But in all fairness, and my only point, this does not come close to meeting the criteria for sexual harassment and I feel that we are often too quick in allowing our dislike for TSA to dictate our accusations. If we stick to the facts as presented, we simply have a case of an immature screener acting unprofessionally during his encounter with you and your wife. Nothing more, nothing less. He was a jerk and should have admitted his mistake and apologized...but these types of lapses happen all the time and I wonder if the same actions would be taken if the comment had been from a cab driver or shuttle driver? All people are expected to behave in a professional maner at all times, but few succeed. Let's just make sure we are addressing the situation, not our feelings for the agency. God luck with the letter...hopefully the "snot-nosed" kid will have to write your wife an apology, but I doubt it.