In need of truth

Community waits for answers in harassment case

The gut response when news breaks that a community leader stands accused of sexual harassment in the workplace is, “oh, no!”

Such accusations are shocking and damaging on so many levels.

Let’s consider the situation of a truthful accuser: This person has had to endure workplace behaviors that are demeaning, disturbing and unwarranted. Bringing forward such charges requires a willingness to confront the establishment, to up- set the status quo and to challenge someone whose position is imbued with great influence and authority. That, of course, can become the very mechanism through which sexual harassment, with its imbalance of power, takes place.

Let’s also consider the situation of a truthful accused person: Such accusations are a serious threat to an individual’s career and reputation, both hanging in the balance while the black cloud of suspicion looms. There’s a natural reaction for people to think “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” regardless of whether that’s the case. That’s unfair. Imagine how helpless a person unjustly accused of sexual harassment must feel.

Addressing sexual harassment is difficult because people often have pre-determined tendencies to believe one side or the other and because any expression of uncertainty can be interpreted as shaming the accuser. That is not our intention here. We only warn that nobody can afford to jump to conclusions favoring one side or the other based on what’s publicly known. The reaction must be one of genuine concern for discerning the truth and ensuring any damaging behaviors — to people and institutions — are ended.

All the scenarios leave those involved in dreadful circumstances. When a case involves a public enterprise, such as a school district, the community also has a stake in the outcome.

An intense and earnest investigation is the only method by which the best attainable version of the truth can be discerned.

The Fayetteville School District, like any employer, shoulders a heavy responsibility to respond when one of its employees raises concerns about inappropriate workplace behaviors. On Thursday, recent whispers of allegations against Superintendent Matthew Wendt were confirmed by an attorney for a woman who alleges wrongdoing and by the school district, which launched an investigation last month when the allegations were brought forward.

On Friday, Wendt denied the allegations. At last report, he continues to perform his duties as superintendent. Wendt has, by most accounts, been a strong leader for the district since he was hired in 2016 in the aftermath of a less-than-stellar tenure of his predecessor. From a community perspective, a sexual harassment case, in addition to sparking concern over professional conduct, leads to worries that all the progress happening within the school district might come to a screeching halt.

It’s a legitimate concern, but the well-being of the school district must take a back seat as far as the investigation is concerned. The fundamental question must remain whether inappropriate and potentially illegal behavior occurred.

The best anyone not directly involved in the case can say is we don’t know. As much as we want to believe the teller of truth, the challenge for the public in sexual harassment cases is discerning who that is. So we are all left twisting in the wind.

The best the community can hope for is a thorough but quick-paced investigation and description — as complete as legally possible — of the circumstances discovered once the investigation is done. The public first and foremost must be able to have faith in the process so that they can continue to have faith in their school district.