[Foundation-l] Sexual harassment in Wikipedia

Jeffrey V. Merkey jmerkey at wolfmountaingroup.com
Thu Nov 9 08:28:34 UTC 2006


THD wrote:

>Hi, Everyone,
>
>Yesterday, one guy registered an offensive username, "Rape XXX" (XXX is a
>female wikipedian's name in real life, but I want to kept the victim
>anonymous here) in Chinese Wikipedia, and this guy left a message on the
>female's user talk page: "You are in my sexual fantasy. Are you a virgin?" I
>was furious about this guy's action and sexual harassment speech. I have
>blocked this id forever, and I also suggested the female user to report to
>police office. I want to know is there any policy on this issue? In this
>kind of situation, will the Foundation cooperate with different countries'
>police authority, and reveal the user log record to the authority?
>
>Thanks.
>
>THD
>_______________________________________________
>foundation-l mailing list
>foundation-l at wikimedia.org
>http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>
>  
>
In the United States, sexual harassment and sexually hostile work 
environment claims require that:

1. The company/organization have more than 15 employees or its exempt 
from compliance with Federal EEOC Laws.
2. The subject of the harassment must be an employee who reports to the 
person doing the harassment.
3. Any employee, irregardless of reporting structure can make claims of 
sexually hostile work environment, but the damages
are a lot less.
4. Damages are statutory for sexual harassment claims.

An online forum cannot make claims of sexual harassment or enforce such 
claims. If anything, its a violation of site policy and may
qualify as stalking or obscenity, but its not sexual harassment under US 
Law.

Jeff



More information about the foundation-l mailing list